Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Group 1)

THE home team may have come up well short but an Irish Derby dominated by the British raiders served up a finale worthy of the country’s premier classic as Charlie Appleby’s Hurricane Lane edged out compatriot Lone Eagle in an enthralling finale.

Beforehand this looked an open and intriguing Irish Derby in which quite a few of the contestants lined up with credible claims.

The Epsom hero Adayar may have been missing but the three that followed him home that day all took part and for good measure we had the winter favourite for Epsom, High Definition, who had just two lengths to find on Hurricane Lane from their meeting in the Dante Stakes at York.

Ultimately though the day belonged to Hurricane Lane who somehow pulled victory out of the fire with a display that contained both quality and courage, and it was the latter quality which stood him in great stead when it really mattered.

Labouring

Indeed there were parts of this race where the William Buick-ridden winner looked to be labouring badly in midfield.

To his eternal credit Hurricane Lane dug in well and was able to maintain a reasonable position but he and all the other horses looked to be playing for minor money when Frankie Dettori and Lone Eagle set sail for home with three furlongs to run.

Lone Eagle quickly took half a dozen lengths out of the field and was still around five lengths clear just under two furlongs out.

At this stage Hurricane Lane was getting himself organised on the outer. He drifted right and hampered a few of the beaten horses in the process of getting going (which earned Buick a two-day careless riding ban) but when he got on an even keel he started to motor home in relentless fashion.

Lone Eagle needed the line but it just wouldn’t come in time as the victorious Frankel colt closed in and led in the last few strides to prevail by a neck. There was seven lengths back to Wordsworth with Earlswood taking fourth and Mojo Star, the Epsom second, had to settle for fifth.

The big race favourite High Definition laboured badly and could never get competitive, eventually finishing 10th of the 11 runners.

Inexperience

“I couldn’t have been any happier with him coming into the race. He surprised me at Epsom as I thought he’d travel better but it was just a case of his inexperience showing. His work was sharper after Epsom and he looked to have grown up as a result of the experience he picked up there,” declared Appleby.

“The only negative I could give today was the ground tightening up over the last 24 hours or so and we saw that when the horse was coming down the hill.

“Turning in I did think that Frankie had stolen a march on them but one thing our horse was going to do was stay on well to the line and that’s what he did. He was a more hardened horse today and I thought that he showed a great willingness to succeed.

“It was great to be part of this race and it’s great now to have trained an Irish Derby winner. It’s great for the team at home and his Highness Sheikh Mohammed. In terms of plans it will be a nice conversation to have but the plan since Epsom was to keep hm and Adayar apart and Adayar will be going to the King George,” added Appleby.

This was a second Irish Derby victory for William Buick, previously successful on Jack Hobbs in 2015, and he reflected: “In three-year-old races at this trip it’s about being in your comfort zone and while I was probably a position further back than I wanted to be the horse was comfortable which was the main thing.

Gears

“Frankie got loose on the front and he wasn’t stopping but when my horse switched into gear I knew we were in business as he has gears. In the last furlong I always thought he would get there. It’s very hard to come over here and win these big races and he is a very, very good colt.”

Of High Definition Aidan O’Brien reported the following day: “Ryan said he clipped a heel after about two furlongs and that he could never get him organised after that. He was on the wrong leg the whole way and it was just a non-event for him. We’ll look at the autumn with him.”