CAPRI registered a minor surprise as he fended off Epsom hero Wings Of Eagles and Cracksman to win the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Sent off a 6/1 shot, the grey Galileo colt was one of five runners for trainer Aidan O'Brien, with Ryan Moore opting to ride Wings Of Eagles.That allowed Seamie Heffernan to take the mount on Capri, who proved most game in holding Cracksman in second, with Wings Of Eagles third.

With O'Brien running five, a strong pace was guaranteed and it was The Anvil who set the early gallop for the Coolmore team under Ana O'Brien. With stablemates Douglas Macarthur and Taj Mahal also in pursuit, along with Capri, they appeared to have lined the race up for Wings Of Eagles turning for home.

However, Moore was pushing along from a fair way out, as was Pat Smullen aboard Cracksman, as they tried to reel Heffernan's mount in. Cracksman flew down the outside in the final furlong, with Wings Of Eagles between the two, but Capri, who finished sixth in the Derby at Epsom, dug deep to give Heffernan a third win in the race and O'Brien a 12th Irish Derby victory.

Andre Fabre's French raider Waldgeist did not enjoy the best of passages under Pierre-Charles Boudot and finished fourth.

TIMED TO PERFECTION

The Ballydoyle handler said: "I was always a great believer in this horse. Even after Epsom, Seamus wanted to come here and ride him. We know that he gets a mile and a half and we know that he's brave. Seamus had a lovely position through the race.

"I thought Seamus gave him a brilliant ride. He paced it brilliantly. He had a target there and he knew the field was coming behind him but he timed it to perfection."

O'Brien was not too disappointed with the effort from Wings Of Eagles, but felt he had perhaps lacked stamina when it really mattered.

He added: "He ran very well and came there to go, but maybe a tough mile and a half might be as far as he wants to go - he might have just been outstayed. He showed a mile-and-a-quarter pace at Epsom, he came down, sprinted and finished off very quickly. He still ran very well - I thought they all ran great."

Capri is as low as 3/1 favourite to add to his classic haul in the William Hill St Leger at Doncaster in September.

Heffernan said: "This horse has been competing in very good races all year and the Curragh suited him. I was always comfortable in my position and we went a good gallop. He galloped all the way to the line. He stays well and tries hard.

"At Epsom I was planning to be a little bit closer, but being the track it is, I didn't jump and couldn't be that bit closer. I had to move a little bit earlier than ideal and I still ran very well. It's great that he looks like he's improving."

Smullen, who was deputising for the injured Frankie Dettori, believes Cracksman can progress again for what was only his fourth racecourse start.

He said: "He ran an excellent race. He got a little bit further back than we had planned but he never really travelled though the race and showed a lot of immaturity still. He's very babyish.

"It wasn't ideal to have to come around one in the straight but I just wasn't going well enough. To his credit, he got it together and stayed on very well to the line.

"I thought when I got the better of Wings Of Eagles I had it, but the grey horse battled away well. He's run an excellent race. It's unfortunate he's got beat, but he's a horse that will only keep progressing from here on."

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