Australia powers past the 2014 Irish Derby field
Epsom Derby winner Australia scored the easiest of victories in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on 28 June 2014.
The €1.25 million race was stripped of much of its interest when Kingston Hill was a late scratching. The British-based challenger ran second to Australia in the Epsom Derby, but Roger Varian walked the course and felt the Curragh ground conditions too fast for his colt. With stablemate Geoffrey Chaucer also scratched due to coughing, only 5 horses remained to face the starter.
O’Brien inmates Kingfisher and Orchestra set the pace, with Kingfisher taking the lead, Orchestra in second and O’Brien settling Australia in a steady third about 4 lengths back. Orchestra drew even with Kingfisher with three furlongs to go, but the regally bred son of Galileo out of U.S. and European champion Ouija Board, eased closer a quarter of a mile from home, rolling into a commanding lead with a furlong to go and won by two and a half lengths, easing down.
Kingfisher ran on gamely to finish second and Orchestra held third, making it a 1-2-3 finish for the O’Brien team. Ponfeigh and Fascinating Rock filled the minor placings.
Australia, who won at 1-8 odds, covered the 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:33.19, taking his record to 4-1-1 from six career starts. He also became the 17th horse to complete the Derby double, most recently accomplished by O’Brien-trained Camelot in 2012. Australia’s sire Galileo won both prizes in 2001 and dam Ouija Board won both the Epsom and Irish Oaks in 2004.
It was jockey Joseph O’Brien’s second Irish Derby win, father Joseph O’Brien’s 11th win in the Irish classic and the 5th time he’s saddled the first 3 past the post.
Jockey Joseph O’Brien reported after the race “This is a very special horse, he was an armchair ride. I just had to make sure I didn’t fall off! He has a massive engine and we still haven’t seen the best of this horse. I’d love to ride him at a mile and a quarter – I think that’s going to be his thing on fast ground. His attitude and his pace sets him apart from the others. He’s a great mover and he’s so well balanced. When I walked him down to the barn and came back before the race for the parade, he’d have stayed asleep. The Irish Derby is one of the races you watch growing up. To be riding in the race is a dream and to win it is unbelievable.”
Aidan O’Brien
Trainer O’Brien added: “He’s got a lot of speed and so much class, it’s incredible. He just relaxes in his races. Pace is his big thing, he just travels. It’s very strange that he gets a mile and a half, but I would say he will shorten right up after that. I imagine he’ll go back to a mile and a quarter now.”
Asked about the possibility of Australia running in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 13, he added: “I would say he was made for that race.”
Australia is campaigned by Coolmore partners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, along with Malaysian architect Teo Ah Khing, designer of Meydan’s grandstand. He was bred in Great Britain by Lord Derby’s Stanley Estate Co., which campaigned 2004 Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) winner Ouija Board.
