Anthony Van Dyck Provides Ballydoyle With Epsom Derby Glory

Aidan O’Brien trained a record-equalling seventh winner of the Epsom Derby in the shape of Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), who was chased home by his Ballydoyle stablemates to impressively fill the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placings.

Last month’s Lingfield Derby Trial victor was guided to victory by Seamie Heffernan, a longterm fixture at Ballydoyle, who was forced to switch positions not once, but twice, in the straight and galloped home strongly on the inside rail to win by half a length.

As modest as ever, O’Brien commented after the race, “We never thought we would be in the position we are in now and that is why we kind of have to pinch ourselves every day - that we are working with the best people and with the most incredible horses with unbelievable pedigrees and physiques and in an incredibly facility. It is incredible really.”

Adding to O’Brien’s feat is that he trained Anthony Van Dyck’s sire Galileo to win the Epsom Derby of 2001, whose three and a half length winning margin was the widest recorded in the race since 1993.

Earlier in the day at Navan, an exciting prospect emerged in the mile maiden as Pacific Ocean (Galileo) made all to win by two and a half lengths, the front pair finishing five lengths clear of the third. The progressive three-year-old colt is out of the top-class Australian race mare Atlantic Jewel and holds an entry in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.