Auguste Rodin Lights Up Derby Day

Anja Greenwood, Comments Off on Auguste Rodin Lights Up Derby Day
Ballydoyle colt Auguste Rodin gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his ninth success in the British Classic at Epsom.

Ballydoyle colt Auguste Rodin gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his ninth success in the Derby when he prevailed in the British Classic at Epsom. The Irish horse finished the 1m4f contest powerfully, prevailing by under a length ahead of King Of Steel.

After running so poorly in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, it was a big training performance from O’Brien to get the horse back to his best for the Derby. The three-year-old has been held in high regard ever since he broke his maiden at Naas in 2021.

Auguste Rodin was given an excellent ride by Ryan Moore, a man who has now prevailed in the British Classic three times. He gave his horse clear daylight throughout the contest, and he asked his horse to quicken with two furlongs to go, which proved the key move in the race.

The son of Galileo will now be in the mix for all the leading middle-distance races in Europe later this year. The Eclipse Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Juddmonte International, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe are likely to be races that will be on his radar.

Prosperous Voyage Gives Frankie a Derby Day Winner

Although he missed out on glory in the feature race of the afternoon. Frankie Dettori did taste Group success on Derby Day. He partnered Prosperous Voyage to success in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

Dettori is in the final year of his career in the saddle, and it proved to be an excellent meeting for the Italian. The 51-year-old won the Oaks for the seventh time on the opening day of the meeting when Soul Sister landed the British Classic.

The former Champion Jockey also had success at Epsom in the Coronation Cup on board Emily Upjohn. The 2022 Oaks runner-up produced the biggest performance of her career so far to win the Group One contest, finishing ahead of Westover, who chased her home.

Sheer Rock Remains Unbeaten This Season

Trainer Eve Johnson-Houghton was victorious on Derby Day later in the card at Epsom when Sheer Rock kept up his 100% record for the season. He won a Class Two handicap over 1m4f by two lengths.

Two from two this season!

The completive field included recent York winner Scampi, a horse who can be found on the RaceShare website, which means racehorse shares can be purchased in the gelding for as little as £59 per share. The five-year-old, who is trained by Classic winning trainer Andrew Balding for RaceShare, is rated as high as 92 in the official ratings. He was not at his best at Epson, as he had to settle for sixth place in the race won by Sheer Rock, but he is expected to have a big season ahead if he can reproduce his York form.

The other handicaps on Derby Day were won by Tatterstall (5f), Navello (5f), Badri (6f), and Torito (1m2f). They all ensured their connections had a day they will never forget.

Time will tell when it comes to determining how strong of a field this year’s Derby was. Auguste Rodin has the potential to have a huge career from here. He now must prove himself against the older generation.