Roy Schermer defeats undefeated favorite in Dutch Derby at Duindigt

Roy Schermer won the Dutch Derby for three-year-olds at Duindigt on Sunday. The colt, trained by Paul Hagoort and driven by Robin Bakker, prevailed over 2600 meters on the cinder track in 3.19.80, a kilometer rate of 1.16.8. He finished half a length ahead of Rose Starlake (Jeffrey Mieras) and upset the undefeated favorite Rolleman Flevo, who had to settle for third place.

That result is the headline story of this Derby. Rolleman Flevo (Dion Tesselaar) entered the race undefeated, with twelve wins from twelve starts, and was widely regarded as a phenomenon. Although he had been pushed by Rising Sun Boko in his previous outing, experts felt he was clearly a class above his peers. However, it was not enough on the day. In the home stretch, Rolleman Flevo could not withstand the late charge from Roy Schermer, who surged forward to beat the favorite by half a length.

Rose Starlake (Jeffrey Mieras/Dion Tesselaar) ran an outstanding race. Having dominated the Merrie Derby two weeks earlier, she was permitted to enter this Derby under new race conditions. Stablemate to the favorite, she took full advantage of the opportunity by splitting the two colts to finish in 1.16.9, just two-tenths of a second behind the winner.

The race was marred by an unusually high number of disqualifications. No fewer than four of the ten starters were removed from the results by the stewards: number 1 Rihane (Danny Brouwer), number 3 Rising Sun Boko (Danny Brouwer), number 7 Ram Jam (Michel Rothengatter), and number 9 Ragna L Kite (Rob de Vlieger). The disqualifications of major contenders like Rising Sun Boko and Ram Jam underscored a chaotic race where the field never truly settled.

Paul Hagoort still had reason to celebrate, as the trainer not only saddled the winner, Roy Schermer, but also finished fourth with Royal Express (Jim Veldman). The three-year-old filly clocked 1.17.1, proving the stable's depth at this level.

Jaap van Rijn, the leader in the Dutch drivers' championship, had to settle for fifth place with Rex Beuckenwijk (Jeroen Engwerda) in 1.17.6. The final finisher was Ritchy Diamond (Patrick de Haan/Michel Rothengatter), who trailed far behind in 1.19.0.

Roy Schermer's victory is particularly remarkable given his inconsistent form leading up to the Derby. A disqualification in his penultimate start had hindered his progress, but a second-place finish followed by a win in his final prep race saw him hit his stride just in time. With a prize purse of €74,000, the Duindigt Derby produced an unexpected winner in what was tipped to be a predictable affair.