AT the Tattersalls horse trials on Sunday morning, I got talking to an older gentleman who visited The Irish Field stand.

Though we were at an equestrian sport event, all he wanted to talk about was the previous day’s Derby.

“What a race it was,” he exclaimed before going on to tell me about a friend of his who, only last week, was trying to negotiate a price to have his mare covered by Pour Moi. “I am not sure he was too pleased with the result, to be honest,” he laughed.

The 2017 Derby result will have all sorts of consequences. It was certainly a life-changing event for jockey Padraig Beggy. Amazingly, the 31-year-old was riding just his fourth winner since 2015. Surely he will at least double that figure before the end of this season.

Beggy has something of a similar background to Grand National-winning rider Derek Fox, a low-key figure whose career hit a bump or two along the way. Now both jockeys have written their names into racing folklore forever.

Beggy’s ride on Wings Of Eagles was excellent and, although Aidan O’Brien may have been overgenerous in labelling Beggy a “world-class jockey,” perhaps the ride has been underrated in general by the wider racing public.

The 40/1 Derby winner was impeded at the start and then got checked just inside the two-furlong pole, forcing Beggy sit up for a couple of strides. He then had to get his mount to re-accelerate and wisely just pushed him out with hands and heels inside the final furlong, confident he had enough gas loaded up. It was a crucial bit of riding that probably won the day for him.

Despite all of that, Beggy is unlikely to ride Wings Of Eagles in a race ever again. That’s the nature of his job at Ballydoyle. However, he took the opportunity that was presented to him and hopefully, for his sake, there will be more opportunities to capitalise on down the line.

Wings Of Eagles has also changed the course of his own life, both in the short and long term. One suspects the horse has gone from being a squad player on the fringes of team Ballydoyle to a guaranteed starter in a central role, at least for his next two starts. He’ll likely go to the Curragh for the Irish Derby next where Ryan Moore will probably be his rider.

He certainly won’t be joining Joseph O’Brien’s Triumph Hurdle squad and can instead look forward to a busy life at stud.

The son of Pour Moi will have a lot on his plate to complete a classic double, given differing conditions at the Curragh. It will be fascinating to read Simon Rowlands’ time-analysis of the Derby in The Irish Field next weekend, but it is pretty clear that the race was run at a very strong pace and so Wings Of Eagles was advantaged by being held up.

The third-placed Cracksman, who could re-oppose at the Curragh, raced much closer to the pace and can be marked up as a result.

Cracksman was only having his third lifetime start and so there could well be more to come. Runner-up Cliffs Of Moher could go back to 10 furlongs, possibly for the Eclipse, which apparently is also being considered for fourth-placed Eminent, though the Curragh would suit him better than Epsom.

ENABLE IN TAGHROODA CLASS

It was very hard not to feel sorry for the connections of Daddys Lil Darling after the filly’s forced withdrawal just before the Oaks. The apocalyptic-like sky and lack of a lead horse proved to be too much for the daughter of Scat Daddy as she buzzed up and lost control on her way down to post, prompting her rider Olivier Peslier to abandon ship.

It took a lot of effort to bring her to Epsom and the least connections deserved was a run for their money. Here's hoping they get another chance in the future as it is good to see American-trained horses on this side of the world.

The show went on and Enable was the star, coming through the storm in emphatic fashion. The race was something of a direct contrast to the Derby, producing a clear-cut winner who was much the best on the day. She could well be better than the middle-distance colts of her generation. It was interesting to hear John Gosden compare her with his 2014 Oaks winner Taghrooda, who went on to win the King George seven weeks later. Perhaps Enable will be sent the same route.

Second in the 1000 Guineas and now second in the Oaks, Rhododendron has run two top-class races this season but is becoming expensive to follow, having been beaten at a very short price again.

It is worth factoring in the inconvenience possibly caused by the transport problems endured by Ballydoyle’s Epsom runners on Friday. True, Coronation Cup winner Highland Reel showed no ill effects, but he is a battle-hardened globetrotter. Then again, Rhododendron still ran very well and it’s perfectly plausible to believe she was just outstayed on the day.

She will surely win at the top level at some stage this season and one imagines she will likely take the Minding route of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend, followed by the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood for her next two starts.