O'BRIEN RULES AT EPSOM

Irish maestro lands Oaks-Derby double with Love and Serpentine

DERBY

TIME will tell if Derby winner Serpentine is in Shergar’s class but he won the Blue Riband in similar breathtaking fashion to that iconic horse.

Aidan O’Brien became the most successful trainer in the race’s history (although few could have had more runners in it) as the 25-1 shot led from pillar to post for a near six-length success. It turns out he wasn’t making the pace for one of the other five Ballydoyle hopefuls after all.

It took the son of Galileo three attempts to break his maiden with the success coming just seven days before his Epsom heroics. Emmet McNamara, in the saddle, deserves massive credit for pulling off such tactics.

O’Brien said: “We discuss each horse and try and give them the best chance in the race and we ride them all accordingly.

“Emmet was happy to go to the front on his horse as he had won from the front the last day and William (Buick, third Amhran Na Bhfiann) was happy to also go forward if he was able. It was exactly the way it was.

“Wayne Lordan rode Serpentine the last day and he won it very impressively. He ran through to the line over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh and, to do that, you have to be very good and have class.

“We all watched the race together,

Annemarie, Sarah, Ana and Donnacha. Donnacha mentioned at around five furlongs out that he thought Emmet would win. He was very comfortable and he wasn’t going to stop.”