THERE is never anything remotely ordinary about the Derby at Epsom, but there was something most extraordinary about it this year. It was run in July, in the midst of a pandemic, behind closed doors, and, not least, was won in runaway style by a longshot from two other outsiders.

That winner was, of course, Serpentine, who until a week earlier had run twice, and been unplaced twice, in maidens. He stormed away with one at the Curragh on the final Saturday in June, and stormed away with the world’s most famous flat race just a week later. Remarkable!

Some of what passed for post-race analysis seemed to be delivered in a state of shock at what had just been witnessed but there was no excuse for continuing to deny the facts of the matter after the event.

Those facts include that Serpentine ran quite a fast time, but 0.37s – or just over two lengths – slower than an outstanding winner of a strongly run Oaks (of whom, more shortly) a bit earlier, and that he did it by going hard and keeping going, at least until a point at which the race was done and dusted.

Serpentine’s splits at various fixed junctures along the way were around five to six lengths ahead of par given his overall time. That overall time is worth a timefigure of 116 in my book, and, strictly speaking, Serpentine should be upgraded from it due to how fast he went.

Meanwhile, those placed horses – Khalifa Sat (106) and the maiden Amhran Na Bhfiann (105) – expended their energy near perfectly and were fortunate to finish ahead of a handful who came from further back, but who made ground steadily rather than hand over fist, it has to be said.

The sectionals have English King (fifth) third-best on 113, Russian Emperor (seventh) fourth-best on 112, but worth sticking with at 114 for now, and Kameko (fourth) and Mogul (sixth) equal-fifth on 111.

Jockeys

Of those, Kameko’s jockey can be exonerated as he was on a colt who may well prove best at eight to 10 furlongs, the others less so. As a pre-race trailer put it, there is no “next time” where the Derby is concerned: they had their one shot, and probably wish they could have it again.

However, while things went Serpentine’s way – were made to go his way by an inspired Emmet McNamara in the saddle – only a very smart performer could do what he did, as all the sectional comparisons with past Derby winners suggest, and he should not be underestimated hereafter.

Love superior as thrashes rivals

Then again, he is not as good as Love, in all probability. The overall time of her Oaks win suggests as much, though she did achieve it in a rather more conventional way, powering through from off a strong pace – the leader splits were similar to Serpentine’s early on but being put up by inferior performers – to win by nine lengths.

The fillies Love had beaten in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket look to have been second-rate, and the ones she thrashed here may be only marginally better, but thrash them she did, and her 120 basic timefigure goes up to 121 on the back of such a strong finish.

Ennistymon (106) and Frankly Darling (103, but left on 105) were left chasing her shadow, though the latter might not have been entirely at home on the track.

That Love figure is well above average for an Oaks winner, but installing her as favourite for the Arc seems just a bit of an over-reaction to me, for all that she will get both a sex and an age allowance when taking on her elders. Events elsewhere at the weekend reminded us just how good some of the older horses she would face are.