A decade of near-total Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby dominance by Aidan O’Brien ended with a decisive victory in the 150th renewal of Ireland’s premier classic for the Godolphin favourite Jack Hobbs who landed 10-11 odds in style at the Curragh.
Runner-up to his stable companion Golden Horn in the Epsom Derby three weeks previously, the John Gosden-trained star eased past the other English raider Storm The Stars over a furlong out and secured classic glory for himself under jockey William Buick.
Giovanni Canaletto fared best of O’Brien’s quartet in third but there was no questioning Jack Hobbs’s superiority continue a purple classic patch for Gosden by giving him a first Irish Derby in addition to Golden Horn’s Epsom success at the start of the month and a French Oaks victory for Star Of Seville.
“It showed the Epsom form is solid with our horse and Storm The Stars finishing first and second and I love the way he finished it out,” said Gosden who plans to give Jack Hobbs a break before plotting a route to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe through September’s Prix Niel.
Jack Hobbs, a first victory for a British trainer in the Irish Derby since 1993, has been cut to 8-1 in some ante-post lists for the Arc
Buick reported the race to have gone as planned, tracking the pace-setting Storm The Stars, securing a run past Giovanni Canaletto and then waiting before kicking the Halling colt clear in the closing stages.
“It was a very good race but you ride horses this good it makes things so much easier. He has kept improving and is a serious horse. He stays a mile and a half well but he will be as effective at a mile and a quarter,” said Buick who is retained by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin team who bought into Jack Hobbs after his Dante second.
The victory gave the Sheikh a first Irish Derby since his colours were carried by Winged Love 20 years ago and the Epsom form was further enhanced with Giovanni Canaletto, fourth at Epsom, finishing third here.
Storm The Stars, now placed in a pair of Derbys, has been cut to 4-1 with the sponsors for the Ladbrokes English St Leger and jockey Pat Cosgrave reported: “He’s improving all the time and ran well. It’s just unfortunate he couldn’t hold the winner.”
The Ballydoyle No 1 Highland Reel got warm before the race and raced quite free and never threatened to mount a challenge.
In contrast Painted Cliffs bridged a six-year gap for Aidan O’Brien in the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes with a decisive defeat of the favourite Rockaway Valley that earned him 25-1 quotes for next year’s 2,000 Guineas.
After a lack-lustre debut, blinkers seem to have worked the oracle for the son of Canford Cliffs who continued O’Brien’s sparkling recent run with his juveniles. Ryan Moore took it up after halfway on the colt who returned a 7-1 SP.
“We took it up far too early really, but he’s a nice horse and he’ll improve,” the jockey said. “All Aidan’s two-year-olds are running great at the moment.”
O’Brien explained: “We liked him early but he was very idle and babyish the first day so we put the blinkers on him to help him concentrate.
The veteran star Gordon Lord Byron has picked up Group One prizes around the world but his victory in the Listed Dash was a landmark first success at the Curragh and he could return to HQ soon for a possible quick follow up in the Minstrel Stakes.
Tom Hogan’s stalwart defied topweight to win with authority under Wayne Lordan who is already dreaming of another crack at the Hong Kong International meeting next December with the horse.
“It was lovely for the horse to get his head back in front. It’s been a while since he won in Ireland but he’s genuine and does his best every day,” the jockey said. “Hopefully back to Hong Kong in December will be the plan.”
Gordon Lord Byron will be characteristically busy before that however and Hogan also has another Group One in his sights in Deauville’s Prix Maurice Du Gheest in August.
“He needs a run every three weeks or he gets too fresh like at Ascot. He hit the gate there and ran with the choke out and it was a great run in hindsight,” Hogan said. “We’ll give the July Cup a miss but he could go to France and he’ll go to Haydock for the Sprint Cup for sure.”
Chris Hayes’s initiative in taking the Listed Celebration Stakes by the scruff of the neck before the straight in style as Sovereign Debt shot clear of his opposition for Yorkshire trainer Dandy Nicholls.
“Dandy said ‘do whatever you want’. I got a good lead into the straight. We were going so steady I thought that if I got one burst I’d keep going. He won quite well,” the jockey said.
Nicholls looked on appreciatively and declared: “He gave him a great ride and maybe that’s the best way to ride him. I brought him over myself and he travelled really well, ate up and was so relaxed. He’ll come back here again and go to Dubai at the end of the year.”
Shane Foley followed up an opening race victory on Final Frontier with a snug handicap success on the Michael Halford-trained Hasanour.
