1 Robin Hoods Bay 10/1
2 Windhoek 11/4
3 Aussie Reigns 33/1
14 ran Distances: ¾l, 1l, 1l
TIME 2m 1.41s (fast by 0.59s)

Robin Hood's Bay, owned by Alan Pickering, trained by Ed Vaughan and ridden by Luke Morris, went one better than last year when winning the £100,000 Group Three coral.co.uk Winter Derby over 10 furlongs at Lingfield Park on Saturday, March 22.

Robin Hood's Bay
© Grossick Racing Photography

The winner of this third Fast-Track Qualifier on the day is guaranteed a place in the £200,000 Coral Easter Classic All-Weather Middle-Distance Championship over course and distance on Good Friday, April 18, the richest race ever run on the All-Weather in Britain.

Robin Hoods Bay was held up in second last and crept into the race before coming with a good run in the straight to catch Godolphin's Windhoek (Saeed bin Suroor/Silvestre de Sousa) well inside the final furlong and win going away by three quarters of a length in 2m 1.41s. Aussie Reigns ( William Knight/Adam Kirby) kept on in third, a length away, while the 7/4 favourite Grandeur (Jeremy Noseda/Ryan Moore), who broke well from stall 14, raced in fourth before fading to eighth of the 14 runners.

Vaughan, who trains Newmarket, declared: "Robin Hoods Bay has always threatened to win a big one and was a bit unlucky last year, when he got caught in running.

"I have trained him for this race, as I have said all the way through. We had a couple of little issues with him earlier on and I just wasn't able to train him conventionally.

"I have let him have 10 per cent improvement with each race. This was the day for him and now we will have a crack at the Good Friday race.

"Initially, I thought that he wasn't travelling today - he is a horse that can travel really well but he wasn't travelling as well as he can today - and that has shown that they have gone a really good pace.

"Races are always perfect when they have gone too fast. That's what this horse needs and the harder the gallop, the better he is.

"I went into this race thinking that a lot of the big guns might come back for Good Friday. The owner loves Lingfield and I think I said when this horse was rated 64 that he was the best horse I have trained. He has gone and proved it today.

"We thought today would be the big day but we will have one more crack on Good Friday. We have no reason not to go for the race and he will have a well-deserved break after that."

Luke Morris said: "Things worked out nicely for Robin Hoods Bay in the race. The plan was to ride him a bit closer but they went a proper gallop throughout so I was sitting there, taking my time.

"He has got a good turn of foot and the way the race was run played into his hands. Usually, he gives you a good guide of the pace and, because he was off the bridle early doors, it meant that they were going a proper gallop.

"I am sure that he will be back for Good Friday now. What you have seen today is his level of ability and it's a good level."

The coral.co.uk Winter Derby
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 2f, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Standard
Surface: All Weather