Auguste Rodin became the 19th horse to add the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby to Epsom glory when eventually justifying short odds in an incident-packed race at the Curragh on Sunday.
The 158th renewal of Ireland’s premier classic was marred by fatal injuries sustained by Auguste Rodin’s stable companion San Antonio, but even that grisly outcome couldn’t prevent a widespread impression of better to come from the winner.
If it’s an odd perspective for a Group One-winning two-year that has graduated to become a dual-Derby hero, it’s one heartily backed up by Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Deep Impact colt Auguste Rodin completes the English-Irish Derby double!
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) July 2, 2023
It's also a first win in the @DDFRacing Irish Derby for Ryan Moore, and Aidan O'Brien's 100th European Classic victory 👏#オーギュストロダン | #ディープインパクト | #競馬 | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/GQ8wBZXMsp
The latter, finally landing the Irish Derby at his 11th try, was at pains afterwards to describe a “messy” race that didn’t show his regally bred partner to best affect.
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Aidan O’Brien too, juggling sorrow about San Antonio’s demise with satisfaction at having achieved a remarkable century of European classic victories, said an insufficient tempo to the race didn’t show off Auguste Rodin to best affect.
Beating his 33-1 stable companion Adelaide River by 1½ lengths was more workmanlike than brilliant but didn’t shake Auguste Rodin’s status as favourite for the upcoming King George and October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Not many of the 18 previous double-Derby winners left the Curragh with an expectation of the best being yet to come.
But Sunday’s rare sighting of the Coolmore conglomerate, John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, being on hand to welcome home their newest top stallion prospect suggests an unusual talent.
“It was hard to judge the pace with the wind and Ryan said it was all happening a bit too slow for him. He would be much better in a faster run race,” said O’Brien.
“We wanted a strong, even pace and he was just in second gear. He never got into third gear at all. When he got to the front, he was all starry-eyed. We knew the second horse would handle this course much better than Epsom and it wasn’t a surprise that he ran much better. This horse is real classic blood. He can cover that mile-and-a-half in a strong fast pace, move well and do everything right,” he added.
Time will be taken before Auguste Rodin’s next target is nominated but Moore is happy the bare face value of Sunday’s form isn’t an accurate reflection of the talent underneath him.
“When, unfortunately, Wayne’s horse went wrong, I had to go back in and I felt that my rhythm was broke, and it wasn’t as smooth as it should’ve been,” he explained.
“The horse in front was getting it all his own way, saving all the petrol, and getting the run of the race. He had plenty left when I got there, and I just waited. It didn’t work out perfectly, but he’s won and, for me, he hasn’t had any sort of a race and I’m looking forward to him in the future,” he added.
If big-race success for the Derby-winning team is expected there was still novelty value to them getting turned over in the Group Two Gain Railway Stakes by Co Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray.
The former dairy farmer’s alliance with the emerging AMO Racing yielded a shock 150-1 Norfolk Stakes victory for Valiant Force at Royal Ascot a couple of weeks ago.
Bucanero Fuerte was an honourable third at Ascot in the Coventry and successfully bounced out of that to strike in Sunday’s opener at HQ.
Rossa Ryan again did the steering and got the 100-30 shot to rally past Ballydoyle’s 15-8 favourite, Unquestionable.
“We took a chance a chance running him today quick after Ascot and he didn’t let us down. Robson [Aguiar, assistant trainer] said he was on fire during the week and we had no other option only to go for it. He’s entered in the Phoenix Stakes and he could go to France [Prix Morny], we are not sure yet,” said Murray.
Jessica Harrington’s Sprewell could finish only sixth in the Derby after being hampered by the ill-fated San Antonio. However, she and jockey Shane Foley had better fortune in the Listed Celebration Stakes as Bold Discovery was half a length too good for the favourite Tarawa.
“Sprewell is okay. He just got interfered with at the wrong time and probably wasn’t quite letting himself down on the ground. I shut my eyes for a second and thought, ‘he was going to fall and Shane was going to fall again’. It’s amazing what goes through your mind in half a second,” said Harrington.
