ANDREW Balding has come close to emulating his father with a Derby Italiano win twice before, finishing second with Royal Supremacy in 2024 and third with Relentless Voyager in 2023, and made the breakthrough with Venetian Prince in the 143rd running of the race on Monday.

Ian Balding landed the 1981 running with Paul Mellon’s home-bred Mill Reef colt Glint Of Gold, while Venetian Prince represented another owner/breeder in Jeff Smith of Littleton Stud.

From the first crop of St Mark’s Basilica and out of Juddmonte International heroine Arabian Queen, Venetian Prince finished down the field last time out in the 2000 Guineas and was making his first start over a mile and three furlongs, with heavy ground adding to the test.

Jason Watson delivered the chesnut late to beat Endo Botti’s rallying Guineas victor Grand Son Of Dark by a neck, with just a nose separating them from Peter Schiergen’s raider Salitos, from the first crop of Beeches Stud sire In Swoop.

“I’m delighted and I’m really pleased for everyone involved,” Balding said. “He’s a decent horse and we were a bit worried about the trip and the ground, but he handled the ground and stayed the trip well. Hopefully he’s exciting.

“It’s a race we’ve always wanted to win. Dad won it in 1981, which is a long time ago now, and we’ve had a couple of near misses, so it’s nice to add it to the CV.

“It’s always nice when Jeff’s colours win big races and the prize money is amazing, so it’s a great result.”

Venetian Prince’s win will boost team confidence ahead of stablemate Item’s bid in the Epsom Derby, which Andrew Balding is hoping to win for the first time.