Storming Home pushes Derby claim

Barry Hills launched his annual quest to finally win the Derby when he sent Storming Home on a successful scouting mission to Epsom today.

Storming Home was trimmed from 100-1 to 40-1 for the Vodafone Derby by Victor Chandler after his four length win from Tamiami Trail in the Stanley Racing Blue Riband Trial Stakes.

The 9-4 chance was the only one of the five runners in the 10-furlong contest to hold an entry in the premier Classic, although he was the first to come off the bridle on the descent to Tattenham Corner.

Once in line for home, however, the son of Machiavellian stretched out in style and having led at the two furlong marker forged clear under Michael Hills.

'He was playing with the game,' said the trainer.

'Michael had to give him a kick in the ribs at the top of the hill as he wasn`t going at all. Then he`s picked-up in the straight and he flew.'

Storming Home had finished second to King`s Ironbridge, winner of last week`s Craven Stakes, in the Solario Stakes at Sandown last season and Hills added: 'He`s a very laid back, switched off horse and last week he was a very slow learner. He was a bit unlucky not to beat King`s Ironbridge.'

Hills holds the dubious distinction of having saddled four horses to finish second in the Derby, among them Rheingold, whom the trainer recalled could finish only fourth in this contest 29 years ago when it was run over an extended mile.

Hills indicated that Storming Home could bid to press his Derby claims in the Dante at York next month.

He added that another of his Derby possibles, Chancellor would reappear in the cantorindex.com Derby Trial at Sandown on Saturday, while The Glen, seventh in a Newmarket maiden on his sole start last autumn, would head for the Grosvenor Maiden Stakes at Chester.