Controversially declared a non-runner at Epsom where Benvenuto Cellini was sent off as favourite, the Frankel colt proved his running on the rain-softened ground to be all wrong in beating Epsom hero Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard, both also trained by O’Brien.
In a fascinating tactical race, Action – another Ballydoyle runner – was rushed through horses to take up the running with Benvenuto Cellini in rear but Ryan Moore on the winner made a positive, early move on Benvenuto Cellini, driving up the inside onto the heels of Pierre Bonnard.
Raaheeb was held-up towards the rear along with James J Braddock – a day on from stablemate Thundering On being found to have coughed after the Pretty Polly – who never raised a gallop.
Ronan Whelan pulled Christmas Day off the rail rounding the turn into the straight and took up the running from Action but Benvenuto Cellini and Raheeb had made up their ground towards the centre of the track. Pierre Bonnard was harder ridden to close but did so while Benvenuto Cellini swept to the lead.
Raaheeb’s effort was short-lived and from that point on there was no threat to the winner who stayed on well to win by a length and a quarter.
Christmas Day was second with Pierre Bonnard perhaps a shade unlucky not to have caught his stablemate having been momentarily short of room in the closing stages.
They were separated by a neck with six lengths back to Raaheeb.
Paddy Power and Sky Bet make Benvenuto Cellini 6/1 from 8s for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and 33/1 from 50s for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October.
Any of them could have won
Moore, who was winning the race for the fourth time, told Racing TV: “He’s a lot of quality, he showed that at Leopardstown last year and he did at Chester. Epsom was just a mess, obviously we had the stalls and everything, but with the ground being the way it was, that’s the only time I’ve ever rode in the Derby where we haven’t stayed on the far side.
“It was an unusual set of circumstances and the way Epsom gets when it’s like that, you have to be close to the pace so with what happened, he had no hope. He’s still a little bit babyish, there’s nothing wrong with his temperament. Unfortunately at Epsom the horse beside him kicked out and he kicked out, he made a mistake and those things are getting ironed out and, hopefully, he’ll continue to learn and he’ll continue to do things better.
“I thought he travelled into the race beautifully. The way the track is riding today with the wind it’s difficult to come from too far back and I ended up producing him sooner than I would have ideally liked but I didn’t want to break his rhythm. He’s got a lot of quality, travels very comfortably, a beautiful mover; it will be interesting what the future holds for him.
“The Curragh, when it gets windy it’s not straightforward, it’s difficult to come from that sort of position.”
Moore didn’t give a great deal away when asked whether it was a difficult decision to keep the faith with Benvenuto Cellini although appeared to damn Christmas Day with faint praise in comparison to his stablemates.
“I spoke to Aidan as I rushed through the airport on – was it Friday morning?! – and we decided we’d stick with him hoping the ground was going to be nicer but to be honest with you, we always felt all three of them could win and they were one-two-three so, on a different day, different circumstances, any of them could have won,” he responded.
He continued: “The Derby winner ran great, he didn’t lay down at all, kept coming all the way. Pierre also ran well.
“We always thought at the start of the year, Pierre was a high class horse and well able to win a Derby, it hasn’t happened but he’s coming back. Christmas Day is a real trier and he’s won three stakes races and he’s a good race record, he’s a proper horse and this lad is putting it together and hopefully will continue to do so.”
Slick and quality
O’Brien said: “It was a brave call from Ryan to ride him. Ronan’s horse [Whelan, on Christmas Day] was working very solid since Epsom. There was going to be nowhere to hide. Declan [McDonogh, on Action] was going to go forward, Ronan was going to follow him, and you were either going to follow him or not get into it. And Wayne [Lordan, Pierre Bonnard] followed him, and obviously, Ryan knew it, and he followed him, but we didn’t know what was going to happen until it happened.
“Ryan always said he was a classy horse that would be very comfortable going back to a mile and a quarter, but he wouldn’t like to go any further than that [mile and a half].
“So, we knew the pace was going to be on, and he was going to be put to the pin of his collar, because we knew Ronan’s horse was a mile and a half horse that could go a Leger trip. It was a great race and I hope everyone enjoyed it because it was an open, strong, properly-run race, on beautiful ground in this incredible facility.
“And for Irish racing, it’s very important that we try and compete and the best horses come and compete again. It’s the right thing. So I’m delighted for the lads, I’m delighted for all of them. They put in so much for us all; they keep the whole show going. 30 years ago, these horses used to be dispersed all over the world. We’re just so grateful that they keep them in this country. There’s countries all over the world 10 times bigger than we are. But for us, it’s important for Irish people and the Irish horse industry. And the country people, it keeps the whole countryside going and alive.
“Obviously, Peter [Brant, part-owner], whose colours he runs in, is a world-renowned breeder, an unbelievably clever, intelligent man, about pedigrees and all that, and……..anyone I’m forgetting, I’m sorry, everyone at home.”
Asked whether he had kept the faith following Epsom, O’Brien added: “I had no faith. No, honest to God, he was working very well, and everyone was very happy with him at home. But when a horse gets beat two furlongs, there’s one thing a horse getting beat five or six lengths. Every year we came back here, anytime we ever got beat in the Epsom Derby, say we were second or third, and they’d come back here, we’d always be convinced that we’d beat him here at the Curragh. But not with him.
“If there was going to be any hole in him today, that was going to be found, because I knew that Declan was going to go, and Ronan was going to follow him, and Wayne was going to follow him, and there was going to be no mercy shown to Ryan. So, if there was any weakness in his armour, it was going to be exposed.
“And in fairness to the lads, they didn’t have to let the Epsom horse come and compete against them, because he was at a big risk of being very badly devalued. So, what they did, for the race and for us all, that’s what makes it special. We can’t be expecting other people to come if we don’t produce our own against each other and find out. So it was important, and this was brilliant.
“Now, it looks like Declan’s horse will probably drop back to a mile a quarter. Ronan’s horse will be maybe trained for a Leger. He’d have a break, he’d go to the Voltigeur. This horse could go to the King George. And if he needs a break, he’ll have a break and he’ll be trained for a Champion Stakes, and then he looks like a ready-made American horse; a Breeder’s Cup Turf / Classic. He’s that type of horse. He is slick, he’s fast and quality.
“Wayne’s horse looks like he got a mile and a half and he could be a possible for France in a couple of weeks, if he came out of it well, but maybe he’d need a break as well because he’d had a few tough races as well.”