Investec Derby |
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| Group 1, Epsom Downs 16:30 £1,625,000 added 3yo only, 1m, 4f, 10y  |
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| Saturday 1st June 2019 | |
Anthony Van Dyck gives Aidan O'Brien his seventh Derby triumph
1 Anthony Van Dyck 13/2
2 Madhmoon 10/1
3 Japan 20/1
13 ran Distances: ½l, nse, shd
Time: 2m 33.38s (fast by 1.12s)
Anthony Van Dyck wins the 240th running of the Investec Derby 🏆👏🏇
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 1, 2019
A seventh Derby triumph for Aidan O'Brien 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/oCsWS6JMpv
Aidan O'Brien became the joint winning-most trainer in Investec Derby history after Anthony Van Dyck provided the master of Ballydoyle with a seventh success in Britain's premier Classic and richest race.
Ridden by Seamie Heffernan, enjoying his first win on his 12th Derby ride, the three-year-old son of Galileo ran on gamely in the closing stages on the far-side rail to deny the Kevin Prendergast-trained Madhmoon by a half-length.
Anthony Van Dyck's stable companions Japan, Broome, Sir Dragonet, Circus Maximus were third, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
O'Brien joins Fred Darling, John Porter and Robert Robson as a seven-time winner of the world's greatest Flat race.
The Ballydoyle maestro has won the Investec Derby with Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012), Ruler Of The World (2013), Australia (2014), Wings Of Eagles (2017) and Anthony Van Dyck (2019).
O'Brien said: "It's incredible, I am so delighted for everybody. I am privileged to be part of the team with everybody. The lads put so much in - John and Sue, Michael and Doreen, Derrick and Gay - they put so much in day in, day out.
"Everyone that works in Ballydoyle and Coolmore - there are so many people. If I mention everybody, I will forget but there are people from the ground right up to the riders, the people in the office, the farriers, the vets, the people that do the stables day in and day out, that do the farms. There are so many people involved that I would like to thank.
"Patrick rides this horse out all the time and does a great job, Andrew is in charge of him, Sumi, who leads him up, and John - they are incredible people. I am so privileged and delighted and grateful to them.
"They were all there having a chance and I knew Kevin's horse was there - I knew that Kevin would have his horse in tip-top shape and he was a very good horse. We were just hoping and we were just so delighted to be involved in that part of the race.
"Seamus gave him a great ride. This races are so competitive and so tough that, until they pass the line - as we saw yesterday, you are never sure. I am so delighted for everybody.
"Seamus has been placed for so many times. He has been working for us for so long and is such a special fellow. He has always been a world-class rider. We are so privileged to work with him and grateful every day, day in, day out. I am so delighted for him."
Heffernan said: "I wouldn't be able to win it if it wasn't for the firm I am with. I had to take a hold from two down, which probably helped as it's hard pushing the whole way down the straight. He's a Galileo, so I knew that he would be with me when I needed him.
"I was happy enough to be comfortable. I was following Ryan (Moore, on favourite Sir Dragonet, who finished fifth), which I thought was the big danger, but it was a big ask for him on only his third run. My lad has danced every dance and been running up the back ends of horses over seven furlongs. I am happy."
He added: "It means a lot as I'm into the last ten years of my riding career. I've been around plenty of Derby winners and I rode his father in a trial and won it. I've seen plenty of them and I've ridden in plenty of Derbys, so it means a lot to win it.
"I'm always confident riding for Aidan. It doesn't matter if they are favourite or a big price - he trains them all for the big day. Aidan trains them all for the Derby and some of them handle it and some of them don't. That's just the way horse racing is.
"I haven't had to take a pull going to the two pole and wait for a run in a long time, so I was confident I was going to get to them."
Investec Derby (Group 1)
£1,625,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 4f 10y, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Firm
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (7) | Anthony Van Dyck (IRE) 13/2 | J A Heffernan 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 | |
| 2nd | (6) | ½ | Madhmoon (IRE) 10/1 | C D Hayes 9-0 |
K Prendergast | 3 |
| 3rd | (11) | nse | Japan 20/1 | W M Lordan 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 4th | (8) | s.h | Broome (IRE) 4/1 | D O'Brien 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 5th | (13) | s.h | Sir Dragonet (IRE) 11/4f | R L Moore 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 6th | (5) | 4½ | Circus Maximus (IRE) 10/1 | L Dettori 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 7th | (9) | 1¾ | Humanitarian (USA) 33/1 | R Havlin 9-0 |
J H M Gosden | 3 |
| 8th | (10) | s.h | Norway (IRE) 33/1 | J P Spencer 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 9th | (1) | 1 | Line Of Duty (IRE) 25/1 | James Doyle 9-0 |
C Appleby | 3 |
| 10th | (4) | 1¼ | Sovereign (IRE) 50/1 | P B Beggy 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 11th | (3) | 2¼ | Hiroshima 100/1 | B Doyle 9-0 |
J Ryan | 3 |
| 12th | (12) | 1¼ | Bangkok (IRE) 9/1 | S De Sousa 9-0 |
A M Balding | 3 |
| 13th | (2) | 6 | Telecaster 5/1 | Oisin Murphy 9-0 |
H Morrison | 3 |
