Australia Day at Epsom

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Australia lived up to the hype when giving Aidan O'Brien his third successive Investec Derby at Epsom, making the Ballydoyle trainer the first to saddle the Derby winner three years in a row.

Third in the Qipco 2000 Guineas off the back of O'Brien's claims the regally-bred colt is the best horse he has ever trained, the son of Galileo travelled beautifully throughout.

Having hit the front over a furlong out the 11-8 favourite kicked clear of Kingston Hill and while it looked like he may go away and win by further, he still had a length and a quarter to spare from Roger Varian's gallant runner-up.

John Gosden's Romsdal outran his 20-1 price to finish third, another three and a quarter lengths away.

By a Derby winner in Galileo out of an Oaks winner in Ouija Board, the blue riband Classic was the race Australia was destined to win.

Joseph O'Brien looked confident throughout on the chestnut, sitting on the outside of the 16-runner field in mid-division.

He moved into contention so stylishly, having come down the famous hill without a hitch.

Andrea Atzeni gave Kingston Hill every chance and took over at the head of affairs with a quarter of a mile to run, but in truth he always looked a sitting duck for the market leader.

The placed horses from the Dante, Arod and True Story, were just behind the main protagonists with Red Galileo running a massive race, too.

The major disappointment was the winner's stablemate Geoffrey Chaucer, who was tailed off.

Winning rider O'Brien said: "I had a grand position and was going very easily coming down hill, nearly too easy.

"I got there a bit too soon, I was cantering all the way – I got there too soon but I had to stay going when I did.

Winning rider O'Brien said: "I had a grand position and was going very easily coming down hill, nearly too easy.

"I got there a bit too soon, I was cantering all the way – I got there too soon but I had to stay going when I did."Horses don't come easier to ride than this fellow - he's the best (I've ridden)."

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No Bonfire in Camelot Victory Tale

Aidan O'Brien's Camelot was a brilliant winner of the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday.

The 8-13 favourite was held up in the early stages by the trainer's son Joseph, as stablemate Astrology took them along at a sensible gallop with Thought Worthy keeping him company.

For a moment in the straight it looked as though Astrology might've nicked it under Ryan Moore, but Camelot came with a withering late run to land the spoils.

He was five lengths ahead of the staying-on Main Sequence (9-1) at the line, with Astrology (13-2) a short head back in third.

Special

The winning jockey said: "I was a bit worried as he didn't come down the hill at all. He didn't handle the track that well, so he did well to win.

"He's a very special horse and I'm just very fortunate to be on his back. I owe a big thanks to the owners and everyone in the yard."

Anne-Marie O'Brien, wife of the trainer and Joseph's mother, said: "I can't believe it, it's amazing.

"I met Lester Piggott last weekend and he said to tell Joseph not to be in any hurry (in the race).

"I'm really thrilled, it's incredible."

Camelot could now bid to become the first horse since Nijinsky in 1970 to land the Triple Crown with victory in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster in September.

Part-owner Derrick Smith, seeing his colours carried to a first Epsom Derby win, said: "This is the one everyone wants in racing. To win the Epsom Derby is a dream come true.

"What a horse, what a ride. You could see from the three pole it was all over.

"It (the Triple Crown) must be (on the agenda), mustn't it, we might get pressurised into it, but we will talk with Aidan and make the right decision."

Coolmore supremo John Magnier said: "It (Camelot's brilliance) is there for everyone to see and we are fortunate to have anything to do with him, and it's particularly important in the year his father (Montjeu) died.

"We are going to have to take it race by race and give it lots of thought.

"Wouldn't anybody (be tempted by the Triple Crown)? These things get to mean more as you get older, if you had asked me 30 years ago I might have looked the other way, but we will have to see what Derrick (Smith) and Michael (Tabor) say about it."

O'Brien senior said: "You can't even dream of days like this. "I was always happy, I know his (Joseph's) body language by now and he looked confident.

"No-one can describe the feeling, things like this don't happen.

"We'll give the Triple Crown a lot of thought and the boys will make a decision and do whatever is best for the horse.

"The Triple Crown would be incredible."

Lanigan said of Main Sequence: "He's run a great race and to come second in a Derby with my first runner is amazing.

"It's been a long lead up but he settled well and did everything right.

"I don't know where he'll go next, I'll see what Ted (Durcan, jockey) and the owners say."

Astrology was ridden by Ryan Moore, who said: "He's run a good race but just got tired in the last 150 yards."

William Buick was fourth on Thought Worthy for John Gosden and said: "I was very happy with him, he'll make a lovely Leger horse."

Gosden said: "He ran how I thought he might. He's finished fourth like his brother (Lucarno) and he'll do like his brother and head for the Leger."

Paul Hanagan was fifth on the Richard Fahey-trained Mickdaam and said: "He came home really well but didn't handle the track and didn't have the pace early in the race."

Fahey said: "He could be a Leger horse, but on the day he wasn't good enough. He needs a break."

The much-fancied Bonfire was sixth and his trainer Andrew Balding said: "He didn't handle the track and he came down the hill on one leg. He might not have stayed, either. He's in the Eclipse and could go there."

O'Brien's Searching for Camelot

Aidan O'Brien isn't taking anything for granted as red-hot favourite Camelot bids to give the trainer his third success in Saturday's Investec Derby at Epsom.

O'Brien has won just about every major prize going in Britain and Ireland since taking over the reins at Ballydoyle in 1996, enjoying multiple Classic victories along the way.

It is, therefore, somewhat surprising that the team have managed to saddle only two winners of the world's most famous Flat race, in 2001 hero Galileo and High Chaparral 12 months later.

Plenty of smart middle-distance performers have been through the Ballydoyle production line in the last decade, but it is perhaps evidence of the unique test Epsom presents that none have triumphed on the biggest stage of all.

Leading juvenile Camelot is in a different mould to those who have gone before him, however.

A champion juvenile following a truly breathtaking performance in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, the three-year-old became the first son of Montjeu to land the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, fittingly in the year the great racehorse and sire lost his life.

Camelot now bids to follow in the hoofprints of Sea The Stars, who completed the Guineas-Derby double in 2009, but O'Brien acknowledges it is not a straightforward task.

"We are under no illusions with the Derby. We had two very special horses in High Chaparral and Galileo and have not won it since," said the trainer.

"The race is a very difficult test of a horse. There cannot be any chink in their armour and everything has to go right on the day. We are delighted to get there with horses with chances."

O'Brien admits Camelot has always been held in high regard, even before he began working as a two-year-old.

"With Camelot I suppose it was always one race at a time. We really hope we put him to different tests and he is able to pass them," said O'Brien.

"He always has been a very special horse, from the time he was born, and we are very lucky to have him.

"For the future of the breed, they have to sit the exams and do the big tests. Everyone said (a son of) Montjeu had never won a Guineas, it was a big ask for him and history is very hard to change but we are very lucky that he sat it (the exam) and passed it.

"History and stats aren't here for no reason and that what makes him very unique - that he went in there and performed."

Camelot is not the only O'Brien-trained runner in the field, with Dee Stakes victor Astrologya horse with major place claims at least in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Both Derby runners have had the benefit of working round a replica of the famous Epsom Tattenham Corner at Ballydoyle.

The trainer told Racing UK: "It's a definite advantage, it's a massive facility to have - a massive help really."

The horse expected to give the O'Brien pair most to think about is the Andrew Balding-trained Bonfire, winner of what is widely regarded as Britain's best Derby trial, the Dante Stakes at York.

The Knavesmire Group Two had not been the colt's original target, with factors ruling him out of intended trips to Newmarket and Chester, but Balding is thrilled with his charge ahead of his day of destiny.

"I was delighted with Bonfire at York - he did everything we could have asked and he seems to have come out of the race very well," said Balding.

"We had a big meeting at the beginning of the year with the owners, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, and sat down to talk with Harry Herbert and John Warren about the best way to progress to June.

"Unfortunately, he had a dirty scope when we first hoped to run at the Craven meeting and the horse was getting bored and needed some stimulation.

"Carolyn Warren came up with the suggestion of sending him to Dan Jocelyn, a very accomplished event rider, who lives near us. We sent him there for a couple of sessions just to break up the routine.

"That helped and obviously we had the aborted mission to Chester, which might have dragged some horses down, but it seemed to really stimulate him which was good.

Maybe Was Not the Winner for O'Brien

Was (20-1) was a surprise winner of the Investec Oaks at Epsom for trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Seamie Heffernan on Friday.

Well-backed from prices as big as 50-1 in the morning, Was travelled through the race in a good position under Heffernan who stuck to the rail throughout.

As Mick Channon's front-running Nayarra fell away in the straight Was took it up on the inside and stuck on gamely to hold off the late challenges of Shirocco Star (16-1) and The Fugue (11-4 favourite).

Even with Kissed having been withdrawn earlier in the day, Was featured among five O'Brien-trained fillies in the race, with 1000 Guineas third Maybe the most fancied.

Was won her only juvenile appearance at the Curragh last August, but was beaten into third in last month's Blue Wind Stakes at Naas.

In a race where it proved sensible to be prominent off a slow gallop, the three-year-old showed plenty of dash to claim a surprise victory.

Shirocco Star's run was particularly meritorious given she was fractious in the preliminaries.

The Fugue and William Buick were short of room in the early stages and ended up further back than ideal, but she finished off her race well and arguably goes down as an unlucky loser.

Vow travelled like the winner for a long way and ran a creditable race in fourth.

Maybe was another filly who was a long way back for much of the journey in the hands of the trainer's son, Joseph, before staying on for fifth.

Heffernan said: "I had enough horse to take two lengths when I needed it. "I've been very lucky in these colours and I have the owners to thank for trusting me.

"I was on the bridle and had plenty of petrol. When you have plenty of petrol you can go where you like."

O'Brien was securing his fourth Oaks success, with his last victory in the Epsom Classic arriving with Alexandrova in 2006, and his 200th victory at the highest level.

The master of Ballydoyle was also preserving his unbeaten record in British Classics this term after Camelot and Homecoming Queen struck in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas respectively.

O'Brien said: "Seamus gave her a lovely ride, she came on lovely from her first run so we were delighted.

"She's a very good looking filly with a great pedigree. He's a great fellow, Seamus, a world-class jockey. He knows all these horses inside out and and nobody deserves it more."

O'Brien said of Maybe, who ran on to take fifth: "She ran well, she was coming there and coming there but a mile and a quarter might be as far as she wants to go."

Darryll Holland, rider of Shirocco Star, said: "I don't think she was unlucky. The way the race was run it was a bit tactical.

"The winner had the rail and kept outbattling me towards the end.

"I was pressing the button at the furlong marker but the other horse just pulled out a bit more.

"I needed a better gallop and I had to be handier than I wanted to be at an earlier stage."

Johnny Murtagh said of Vow: "They went very slow and I thought I had it at one stage but I thought she'd quicken better than she did.

Dettori Not Retiring Despite Epsom

Frankie Dettori insists he has no plans to retire from horse racing despite failing to secure a ride in the Epsom Derby.

Dettori will ride at Haydock on Saturday instead in a move that prompted a claim on Twitter he is quitting the sport.

The former Derby-winning rider lost his status as Goldolphin's only retained jockey this year.

He told the Racing Post "I've got at least five more years in me."

"I'm only 41 and would challenge any jockey to a one-on-one."

It is the first time in 20 years Dettori does not have a ride in the Derby apart from in 2000 when he was recovering after being involved in a plane crash.

Goldolphin are not fielding a runner in the race and Dettori also lost out to Mickael Barzalona for the seat on Godolphin's only entry in Epsom Oaks, the unbeaten filly Kailani.

Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa now rival Dettori for rides at Goldolphin.

He added: "I'm a soldier in a team. I do what I'm told. The boss has the power to decide who rides and I've been a good soldier for the past 18 years.

"Mickael got the ride in the Oaks on the word of the boss (Sheikh Mohammed) and Mahmood Al Zarooni.

"Nevertheless, I then got a call from Coolmore asking if I could ride in the Oaks. The boss said I could if I wanted to. As it happened nothing came of it but it shows I'm in demand."

Dettori has produced 13 winners in his 92 rides this season.

Epsom Downs Damaged

Epsom racecourse was evacuated  on Tuesday after part of the grandstand roof blew off in high winds. 

There were no injuries sustained in the incident and a full investigation into the cause of the problem is imminent. 

Jonathan Spence, who handles all Epsom's publicity said: 'Following severe weather conditions and turbulent winds at Epsom Downs Racecourse this morning, the Duchess Stand roof has been damaged. 

'There were no injuries to anyone but as a result and after liaising with the emergency services, the racecourse has been evacuated and all non essential members of staff sent home. 

'The emergency services are on site and are monitoring the situation.'