Australia advances fairly
O’Brien heads for Derby record after Galileo completes a hat-trick for the master trainer
Ground will dictate the summer programme for Australia, Saturday’s easy Investec Derby winner, according to Aidan O’Brien. The trainer intimated that his colt would only run on good going or faster, which will help determine whether the Irish Derby is preferred to the Coral-Eclipse as an immediate target.
Three decades ago, when Vincent O’Brien sent out Golden Fleece to be his sixth Derby winner at Epsom, it seemed beyond the realms of possibility that two trainers would later saddle five Derby winners apiece.
Yet, Sir Michael Stoute, who at that stage had enjoyed a solitary success, with Shergar (1981), and now Aidan O’Brien, who did not take out a licence until 1993, are poised just behind the acknowledged maestro on the Roll Of Honour.
Three trainers have trained seven Derby winners: Robert Robson and John Porter in the 19th century and Fred Darling in the first half of the 20th century. With the current prolonged domination of the middledistance ranks by the Ballydoyle/ Coolmore operation, Aidan O’Brien, who made history on Saturday when completing a hat-trick of Derby winners, is now at a short price to break their record.
John Magnier, the driving force behind Ballydoyle/Coolmore, was enjoying Derby success for the eighth time as an owner when Australia sailed home a comfortable winner.
Magnier was part of the Robert Sangster partnership, who raced The Minstrel (1977) and Golden Fleece (1982), but he and his wife, Sue, also owned Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) with Michael Tabor, who in turn shared with Derrick Smith and the Magniers the wins of Pour Moi (2011), Camelot (2012), Ruler Of The World (2013) and now Australia (2014).
In terms of importance to Coolmore, Magnier must rank Australia’s Derby victory alongside that of the colt’s sire, Galileo, who has become the major influence in European racing. Galileo is the sire of Frankel, New Approach and Teofilo, all valuable stallions for rival studs, but Australia has the potential to leap to the top of the Coolmore line-up.
Joseph O’Brien, aboard his second Derby winner after Camelot’s victory two years ago, rode as if defeat was out of the question. He was happy to sit three horses wide at times, just to stay out of trouble. When he moved forward, he had the field covered in a matter of strides. The trainer’s prediction to his owners that Australia would go around Epsom on the bridle was spot on.
Once he hit the front, Australia showed a tendency to ease up, hence he is not expected to build a record of spectacular wide-margin victories. But against older horses, over a mile and a quarter in races like the Juddmonte and Champion Stakes, he should have the chance to realise his full potential by the end of the year. He is a truly exciting colt.
An important historical hoofnote is that the 19th Earl of Derby bred Australia, the winner of the race named after his ancestor, the 12th Earl, who famously won the toss of a coin with Sir Charles Bunbury for the honour, before the inaugural running of the Classic in 1780.
Hyperion (1933) was the previous Epsom Derby winner bred by the family, although the 17th Earl’s Watling Street (1942) won a wartime Derby run at Newmarket.
Australia is by a Derby winner out of an Oaks winner, pretty much the perfect pedigree for excelling the way he did around Epsom.