Joint-trainer Thady Gosden has hailed the Betfred Derby as “the defining race of the season”, after watching his two contenders for Saturday’s contest take to the unique Epsom Downs track for a racecourse gallop.

Damysus and Nightwalker both took part in a gallops morning under riders James Doyle and Rab Havlin at the Surrey track ahead of Saturday’s Epsom Derby.

Gosden has only sent out two runners in the race since joining his father John on the training license in 2021, but having been part of the Clarehaven Stables team for many years knows only too well the importance of the £1.5 million race.

He said: “Winning a Derby is why people do this. Of course, it’s great to be able to have two chances going into it and you just hope it goes well on the day.

“Just coming to the Derby for any reason is pretty hard to forget. It’s an amazing spectacle and it’s the defining race of the season, for a lot of people and for their careers. It’s a special track, it’s a special place when it’s full and it’s a wonderful day to be involved in.

“The track is in fantastic condition – we haven’t had much rain at all over the past several weeks but Andrew Cooper couldn’t have had it in any better shape. It’s riding beautifully, there’s a great cover of grass and hopefully it’s a positive experience for Damysus and Nightwalker.

“It's a very unique track which is impossible to emulate anywhere and just for them to get a feel for it and perhaps get them a few strides quicker in the race can only be a positive thing.

“It’s not the easiest race to prepare for – it’s a unique test of everything and until you actually get to it you don’t really know how it’s going to go.”