MARK Johnston will be looking forward to Royal Ascot next week as his yard continues among the winners, including the impressive Masham Star at Ayr on Monday under Joe Fanning.

Afterwards, the Middleham trainer said: "We were always thinking of Masham Star as a seven-furlong horse. Joe has ridden him a lot at home, but that was the first time he'd ridden him on the track. He said at home you'd have thought seven furlongs or a mile, yet on the track maybe you think he should come back to five, so we're not really sure where we go from here.

"This horse is qualified for the Chesham and that was always the aim, but we'll have to think again maybe now because it's hard to see him being at his best at seven furlongs."

Looking ahead to Royal Ascot, Lumiere will return to sprinting after her disappointing Guineas run.

Johnston had been confident before Newmarket that his Cheveley Park Stakes heroine would stay the Classic mile and even afterwards was not prepared to lay the blame on her failure to stay.

But, since then, Johnston has revised his opinion. "We are going to let her go back doing what we know she was so good at last season, which is sprinting. From what we've seen of her at home since the 1,000 Guineas, it suggests that's the way she should go."

Johnston, who has trained a mammoth 39 Royal Ascot winners and has drawn a blank only twice since 1995, is expecting to have up to 24 runners next week, which he thinks is the biggest team he has ever sent down.

While Buratino, winner of last year's Coventry (this year due to be contested by stable companions Yalta and Rusamaat) will join Lumiere in the Commonwealth Cup, 1,000 Guineas fourth and Musidora runner-up Fireglow heads for the Coronation Stakes and Oriental Fox is likely to defend his crown in the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

The Epsom Derby again threw up a great story with the genius that is Dermot Weld landing the race for the first time with Harzand, despite the colt's participation being in doubt a few hours before the race due to a spread plate.

Like Weld, jockey Pat Smullen was celebrating his first Derby victory as the Aga Khan-owned Harzand held off favourite US Army Ranger, with Idaho taking third.

The first three home were all trained in Ireland, with Wings Of Desire faring best for the home contingent in fourth, but the front three pulled clear.

Smullen could be seen punching the air as he crossed the finish line, and Harzand was not his original intended ride for the race as he thought he would be aboard Midterm before he was ruled out through injury.

The jockey said: "It's unbelievable. It's what dreams are made of, more so for me to ride the winner for the boss – it makes it more fitting. I'm just delighted to ride the winner for him; he's the world's best trainer.

"The trouble we had this morning, I didn't think I'd have a ride at all. It's a whole team effort, I've always said it. I sensed Ryan (Moore) coming and could see US Army Ranger's white face, but I knew he would try all the way.

"It's amazing how this game works. When I got on Midterm, I thought he would be my Derby ride, but when the rain came for this horse we had to take our chance and he's just improved so much."

On Monday, Weld paid tribute to Harzand's "toughness and courage" as he reflected on how the horse overcame adversity to hand him a first victory in the world's most prestigious Flat race.

He said: "Life is an amazing thing and every day you value that you live, but we had a very stressful and exciting day. It started at Dublin airport when he pulled a shoe off and continued right through the entire day, right to the start.

"It didn't matter to me if it was a maiden or the Derby, everything had to be right with the horse. We had a long day with hot fomentation and four hours of ice, and help from colleagues saved the day."

Weld added: "Idaho is a horse I really rate and in the Ballysax there were five Group winners in that race and it had the form to win the Derby."

The Irish Derby appears to be the next port of call for Harzand, but looking deeper into the future Weld described the Classic winner as an "ideal" type for the St Leger at Doncaster.

The trainer said: "Time will reveal all. He could be an ideal English Leger horse or, indeed, if you got a wet autumn, he'd be a lovely horse for the Arc, but that's all in the future.

"It's a long way away, but I think the quality of courage came out very strong yesterday and determination from both horse and rider. He's a very tough horse and when the challenge was down it was toughness and courage that won the day."

Despite last Saturday's hoof issue, Weld does not anticipate the same problem causing any further anxiety in the future.

He said: "I think it's done and dusted."