Auguste Rodin Leads Ballydoyle Domination In Irish Derby
Auguste Rodin (3c Deep Impact - Rhododendron, by Galileo) provided Aidan O’Brien with his 100thClassic success when leading home a 1-2-3-4 for Ballydoyle in Sunday’s Irish Derby.
Last month’s Epsom Derby hero was sent off a short-priced favourite to provide Ryan Moore with his first win in the race and tracked the leaders on the inner for much of the way. Impeded by the unfortunate injury of stablemate San Antonio four furlongs from home, Auguste Rodin recovered to lead approaching the two furlong marker and drew clear with stablemate and long-time leader Adelaide River (Australia). Keeping on well, the Coolmore homebred led by a length and a half on the line, with another two and a quarter lengths back to Covent Garden (Galileo) in third, while Peking Opera (Galileo) finished fourth.
Speaking after the race, Aidan O’Brien said, “It was hard to judge the pace with the wind and Ryan said it was all happening a bit too slow for him. He would be much better in a faster run race. This horse is real classic blood. He can cover that mile and a half in a strong fast pace, move well and do everything right.”
Ryan Moore echoed O’Brien’s comments on Auguste Rodin, while on the subject of the Ballydoyle maestro, Moore added, “Aidan would tell you that it's about everyone else, and it is, it's a big team effort and obviously there are so many people that he always thanks. But there's a reason why he has these records and I'm very lucky to have ridden for him for as long as I have.”
Michael Tabor was also quick to praise O’Brien, saying, “The work that he puts in every day, and I mean every day, and he loves what he does. He gets up in the morning and he enjoys his work, you have to as life is too short.”
Sunday marked a third Group 1 success for Auguste Rodin, who is owned by Coolmore partners with Westerberg. Coolmore and O’Brien enjoyed another trio of top-flight wins with his dam, Rhododendron, a homebred daughter of the late, great Galileo. Galileo’s legacy was very apparent in Sunday’s Irish Derby field, with the legendary bay being sire, grandsire, or damsire of each of the nine runners.