CHRISTMAS Day gave trainer a 12th Derby success at Epsom on Saturday, the 7/1 shot handling the soft ground well comfortably by almost three lengths under jockey Ronan Whelan.

Maltese Cross (12/1) finished second for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, another two and a half lengths in front of James J Braddock (9/1), who did well considering he was notably unsettled before the race.

The 3/1 favourite Benvenuto Cellini finished down the field but was later declared a non-runner by the stewards who decided that Ryan Moore's mount did not get a fair start. The colt had a hind leg raised on the running board of his starting stall when the race began. The decision to consider him a non-runner, and refund all stakes placed on him, meant that a 25% deduction was made to all winning bets.

As expected, the winner's stable companion Action made the running under Wayne Lordan but he was closely tracked by Christmas Day all the way around. Whelan went for home three furlongs from home and, drifting out into the centre of the track, the Camelot colt was soon clear and he was never in danger from well over a furlong out.

Winning jockey Ronan Whelan said: "It was just so easy, being honest. Aidan just told me, 'Keep it simple'. I had Wayne [Lordan] there to do it the fractions. When he's at the front he never gets it wrong, so I knew if I was beside him, I would be in safe hands.

"And the horse just done it so easy. He loves the ground. It just felt so effortless for him.

"When we were running down the hill, and Wayne was starting to smack away, I knew I'd loads left. I wish I was as cool a customer as the horse was, because he just took it all in his stride. It was so easy and effortless to him. He's a gent."

Aidan O'Brien, who was winning his 50th British classic, said of the winner: "He's done nothing but improve all the time, so genuine. He stays, obviously handles soft ground. Ronan gave him a beautiful ride, very straightforward."

By Camelot, Christmas Day is out of the Sea The Stars mare Beauly, whose only win came on her racecourse debut in a three-year-old fillies' maiden at Wolverhampton, though she did gain some minor blacktype. She is already the dam of Missed The Cut (by Quality Road), a Royal Ascot handicap winner for George Boughey in 2022 and a multiple Grade 3 winner in the US.

Christmas Day was bred by Framont Ltd and was sold for 450,000gns as a yearling at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

As a two-year-old, he made his debut at the Galway Festival, finishing third behind Action. He won a Gowran Park maiden on his third start and followed that up with success in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown last October.

Christmas Day continued his winning streak at Leopardstown in April when he was a surprise winner of the Ballysax Stakes, a race in which the odds-on favourite Pierre Bonnard finished seventh.

On to York next where Christmas Day started favourite for the Dante but could only finish third behind Item.

Following his Derby success, his trainer said: “We felt that the horse would stay and was better than he had shown in the Dante. He has form on soft ground, but he also has form on good ground. He does stay and he’s hard."

REACTIONS FROM BEATEN CONNECTIONS

Tom Marquand, rider of runner-up Maltese Cross, said: “Everything went perfect for us. He was feeling fantastic and he took the first two-thirds of the race great.

“It all went smooth and I thought my scrap was going to be similar to Lingfield with the Beckett horse (eventual fourth Bay Of Brilliance), but he just fell off a little bit earlier than ideal to take us towards Christmas Day, but the winner was very good. He bowled away up the middle and made it too hard for us to catch him.

“Our lad has run fantastic and George (Waud, owner) and the team are thrilled. You’d love to be the winner in a race like this but we gave it a good crack and we’ve got a really fun horse for the rest of the year.

“He didn't love the ground, but he’s super honest and talented and he travelled super. I’m looking forward to getting him on a bit better ground and seeing if he can turn the tables.”

Kevin Blake, part owner of third-placed James J Braddock, said: “He ran a stormer and we are very, very proud of him. He showed some immaturity in the prelims and he did that before the Ballysax but he was much better last time. But this is the ultimate test of the thoroughbred and the prelims are part of it. It’s something that can be fixed. I need to watch it again but it seemed a really attritional Derby and he hit the line well. It’s only the fifth run of his life.

“The last 24 hours have been horrendous but they’ve been brilliant. To be honest when he started to behave as he did your shoulders do drop a little bit, so it was quiet waiting for the race to happen, but the horse has acquitted himself so well we are so proud of him. For a horse like him to end up here and be placed in a Derby - we’ve all got such a kick out of it. It’s the greatest race in the world.”

Ralph Beckett, trainer of fourth-placed Bay Of Brilliance, said: “Hector (Crouch) said if he’d stood up on him in the last furlong he'd have stopped to a walk, so he’s got there on sheer willpower, but we kind of knew he was made like that. I’m very proud of him.”

Hector Crouch, rider of Bay Of Brilliance, said: “When I paired off with Tom (Marquand on eventual second Maltese Cross) at the top of the straight I thought I was there with every chance, but he didn’t really get home. I thought the ground would play to his strengths, being by New Bay, but it seemed to suck the life out of him, and he didn’t skip off it like he did at Lingfield. But he’s a high-class horse and there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Richard Hannon, trainer of fifth-placed Alderman, said: “It was a great run on Julie’s birthday (owner Julie Wood) and I think he was unlucky not to finish fourth. He got to the line strong, and we’ll look forward to the St Leger.”

Charlie Johnston, trainer of Ancient Egypt (8th), said: “For the second year in a row, for a brief second, I got a bit excited. I thought David got him into a perfect position, travelled into it really well – he was tanking behind the winner turning in. He just said that when he let him down on that ground, he was galloping into the floor, he was really floundering in it. But the first three-quarters of the race gave me optimism that he belongs in this sort of company. We shall see, I’m sure Kia will want him to go to Ascot; that will come pretty quick after a tough race in those conditions, but I thought there were positives to take home.”

Colin Keane, rider of Item (9th), said: “It was the ground, simple as that.”

4:00pm Betfred Derby (Group 1) 1m 4f 6y – full finishing order

1 (5) Christmas Day (IRE) 3 9 2 Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg/Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland R. P. Whelan 7-1

2 (1) Maltese Cross (FR) 3 9 2 Mr George Waud William Haggas Tom Marquand 12-1

3 (13) James J Braddock 3 9 2 Aziz Kheir Aust Partners & Kevin Blake Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland Dylan Browne McMonagle 9-1

4 (9) Bay of Brilliance 3 9 2 Valmont Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 9-1

5 (6) Alderman 3 9 2 Mrs J. Wood Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs 100-1

6 (14) Rebel Rocker 3 9 2 Miss Jennifer Dorey Faye Bramley Rob Hornby 66-1

7 (8) Pierre Bonnard (IRE) 3 9 2 Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg Aidan O'Brien Ireland C. Soumillon 7-2

8 (10) Ancient Egypt (IRE) 3 9 2 Amo Racing Limited Charlie Johnston David Egan 28-1

9 (3) Item 3 9 2 Juddmonte Andrew Balding Colin Keane 11-2

10 (7) A Taste of Glory (GER) 3 9 2 Ahmad Al Shaikh Andrew Balding Jamie Spencer 100-1

11 (2) Balzac (GER) 3 9 2 Mrs Jane Chapple-Hyam Jane Chapple-Hyam Silvestre De Sousa 66-1

12 (11) Action (IRE) p 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland W. M. Lordan 16-1

13 (4) Poker (IRE) p 3 9 2 Amo Racing Limited K. R. Burke Rowan Scott 80-1

NR (12) Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) 3 9 2 Brant/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg Aidan O'Brien Ireland Ryan Moore