Splendid racing under blue skies
Officials at Epsom hailed this year’s Investec Derby Festival as a tremendous success but they are already planning for next year. A crowd of 120,000 attended Epsom Downs Racecourse on Saturday.
Rupert Trevelyan, Jockey Club Racecourses’ Regional Director, London, said: “The weather improved remarkably for the racing and meant we had two glorious afternoons at the 2014 Investec Derby Festival.
“We have seen three superstars – Australia, who looked a very good winner of the Investec Derby, Taghrooda, impressive in the Investec Oaks (in memory of Sir Henry Cecil), and Cirrus Des Aigles, the highest rated horse in the world who won the Group One Investec Coronation Cup (in commemoration of St Nicholas Abbey).
“We have been delighted with the attendance on both days, with 3000 more racegoers for Investec Ladies’ Day and another huge crowd for Investec Derby Day, the highest-attended sporting occasion in Britain each year.
“We will now start planning for the 2015 Investec Derby Festival and tickets are already on sale through the website.”
O’Brien Record
Australia wins the Derby in a great race for O’Brien family
Australia won the 235th running of the Derby at Epsom as jockey Joseph O’Brien helped his Irish trainer father Aidan create racing history.
The 11-8 favourite travelled beautifully and triumphed from runner-up Kingston Hill as O’Brien senior became the first trainer to saddle the winner three years running.
Scoring by a length and a quarter, Australia was roared home by a crowd of more than 100,000 with Romsdal back in third.
After the victory O’Brien senior said: “It’s special to train three successive Derby winners, but we are very lucky to have such well bred horses to handle – that’s the reality of it. “A long time ago we thought he was very special – we wanted to be here with him, but you can never be sure because there are so many variables. Things can go wrong so big credit to everyone at home.” Australia justified his high-class breeding as a son of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and 2004 Epsom Oaks victor Ouija Board.
No crossing an Investec Zebra.Even at Epsom
His trainer had previously won the race four times, triumphing also with High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012) and last year’s winner Ruler Of The World.
But O’Brien had indicated before the race that he considered the colt to be the best he has ever trained. O’Brien’s 21-year-old son, winning his second Derby after Camelot’s victory in the famous Classic, had his mount positioned perfectly throughout.
He swept to the lead coming down the hill and accelerated in fine style to land another victory for the Coolmore owners of Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. The fourth and final owner of Australia is Teo Ah King, the first time a Malaysian has held a share in the Derby winner. The winning jockey said on Channel 4: “Horses don’t come any easier to ride than this one. He’s the best.”
Taghrooda Wins Oaks
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, heaped praise on his retained jockey Paul Hanagan after he delivered a ‘marvellous’ ride aboard second favourite Taghrooda to win the Investec Oaks (G1) at Epsom racecourse on Friday.
A former dual champion in Britain, Hanagan can take much of credit for rescuing his filly after she appeared to taken a nasty bump by Marsh Daisy at dreaded Tattenham Corner, before propelling her to an authoritative 3 3/4length victory over Shaikh Hamdan’s second runner Tarfasha, the mount of Pat Smullen. Taghrooda also provided Shaikh Hamdan with his first European Classic victory in four years since Bethrah landed the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2010. “I have always believed in Paul from the beginning,” Shaikh Hamdan told Channel 4 Racing’s Claire Balding.
“I think he’s a very good jockey. He rode a marvellous race today. “Taghrooda was one of the most beautiful yearlings and I kept asking John Gosden [trainer] when would she visit the racetrack. He told me to be patient and when she did make her debut she won by a neck. She has improved a lot since that race and will get even better.”
Coronation Cup
Cirrus Des Aigles wins the Coronation Cup
Cirrus Des Aigles – ridden by Christophe Soumillon for French trainer Corine Barande Barbe – secured a stirring success in the Group One Coronation Cup.
The eight-year-old gelding won by two lengths from Flintshire in the race run in commemoration of St Nicholas Abbey, the triple winner who died in January.
There was a poignant victory in the opening race on Derby Day for jockey Jimmy Fortune, whose wife Jan died aged three weeks ago aged 53 from a brain aneurysm, leaving behind her husband and two sons. After winning on 9-1 chance What About Carlo, trained by Eve Johnson-Houghton, Fortune said: “It’s been a tough couple of weeks but life goes on and Jan would understand.”
Frankie Dettori – without a ride in the Derby for the third year running – enjoyed his first win at the Epsom meeting since returning from a six-month drugs ban a year ago when scoring with 15-8 favourite Baith Alga for trainer Richard Hannon in the Woodcote Stakes
