Serpentine springs a surprise for Aidan as he doubles up
Serpentine yesterday sprang a 25-1 surprise for a famous victory in the Investec Derby at Epsom.
One of six runners for Aidan O’brien – who won the race for an incredible eighth time and doubled-up after Love had earlier won the Oaks – Serpentine only shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking last weekend.
Turning out just seven days later, Serpentine appeared to be filling the pacemaker role for better-fancied stable companions, including Mogul, with Khalifa Sat and fellow O’brien contender Amhran Na Bhfiann the only ones to really try to go with him.
But Serpentine and Emmet Mcnamara had built up a huge advantage by Tattenham Corner, and the Galileo colt was not for stopping – galloping all the way to the line for a five-and-a-half-length verdict.
Khalifa Sat, a 50-1 shot, hung on for second, while Amhran Na Bhfiann was third at 66-1 for a tricast that paid £55,977.83. Kameko, winner of the 2000 Guineas, was a fast-finisher in fourth, having been sent off the 5-2 favourite, while English King was fifth and Mogul sixth under Ryan Moore. O’brien said: “We try to give each horse the best chance of winning and ride them all accordingly.
“This horse
(Serpentine) made the running last time and was very happy to go forward if nobody else wanted to. He won a maiden very impressively and he absolutely ran through the line over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh – to do that you have to have class. “We all watched the race together at home and Donnacha (O’brien, son) said after five furlongs ‘Emmet wins here’. He was in front and there was no one going to challenge him – he was not going to stop. “Emmet gave him a brilliant ride and judged the pace really well.”
Love added another Classic to her CV as she galloped all over her rivals in the Oaks. Winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last month, the O’brien-trained filly made a seamless step up to 12 furlongs as she cruised home by nine lengths in the hands of Ryan Moore. Frankly Darling and Frankie Dettori tried to go with her, but Love easily pulled clear, with another stablemate in Ennistymon clinging on to second from Frankly Darling by three-quarters of a length.