The apparent decline of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby seemed misplaced as Los Angeles secured Aidan O’Brien’s 16th victory in Ireland’s most prominent Classic at the Curragh on Sunday. The horse, which was considered the second favourite, managed to surpass three competitors from across the channel, with Ryan Moore at the reigns, winning the headline €1.25 million race by nearly a full length.
Initially, Los Angeles came third after his stable mate City Of Troy in Epsom at the beginning of the month, yet he managed to outperform the Epsom runner-up Ambiente Friendly, who momentarily took the lead in the straight but eventually fell to third place. In an unexpected turn of events, Sunway, an outsider with 16-1 odds, claimed the second spot while Matsuri ended fourth following a difficult journey down the straight.
Los Angeles represented the Westerberg colours of part-owner Georg Von Opel, a descendant of the founder of the German car firm, and a comparatively recent inclusion in the Coolmore ownership. Though he was absent, John Magnier, the head of the world’s most influential bloodstock operation, made a rare public appearance, joined by JP McManus, his friend and business associate.
Despite their stake in the refurbished €81 million establishment which has had issues drawing crowds and is not expected to turn a profit for a few more years, both men showcased their support for the Derby and the Curragh. The routine dominance of O’Brien and Coolmore at the Irish Derby has been a point of contention, and there has been concern about the decreasing prestige of the race.
Their decision to not include City Of Troy in Sunday’s race raised further questions about the event’s standing. The top-ranking three-year-old is slated to compete in Sandown’s Eclipse the following Saturday. Despite these challenges, the move seems to have worked for the owners, with Los Angeles stepping up to secure a win at the Curragh.
Throughout much of the race, he followed his three stable companions before racing up the rail on entering the straight. Rab Havlin on Ambiente Friendly noticed the tactic and quickly joined the leading horse, only for Los Angeles to prove his endurance when Moore prompted him. With only one loss to his name, the horse was cut to a 3-1 favourite for the more challenging St Leger race. However, this might be considered a backhanded compliment in this context.
Magnier and O’Brien have eschewed the idea of reducing the distance of the Irish Derby, choosing to maintain it as a top European Classic rather than imitate France’s Prix Du Jockey Club. They underlined that the Epsom form’s reliability was significant and shunned any notion that the race could be improved by cutting the distance from a mile and a half to 10 furlongs.
Magnier, a prominent breeder and businessman, compared the Derby to America’s Belmont, arguing that, like the American race, it should preserve its distance. He suggested that instead of focusing on races of just five furlongs, one should look at the whole spectrum, from start to end.
O’Brien noted the timing of the Irish Derby and its ability to draw together different performance trends from earlier in the month as substantial features of the race. Despite the lack of consistent fulfilment of this capacity in recent years, O’Brien remains optimistic.
The renowned trainer also mentioned his intrigue over Moore’s appraisal of Los Angeles as potentially faster than initially thought, following the jockey’s first ride with the colt.O’Brien expressed that part of the race’s appeal was the opportunity it provided to see all the horses competing together, revealing the abilities of each one.
The decision of Ambiente Friendly to participate in this race, instead of a rematch with City of Troy at Sandown, nearly appeared to be a good move. However, according to Havlin, their confidence started to wane as they neared the furlong.
Moving from the one to the two, we had quite the tussle before entering the one, where I felt I was losing ground. I desperately needed the finish line as he was slowly gaining momentum over me. We will be preparing for a comeback and may well consider returning to a one and a quarter mile length,” stated the seasoned Scottish jockey. This same jockey later received a one-day suspension for reckless riding in the final 200-meter stretch.
Meanwhile, David Menuisier, Sunway’s trainer, was quick to highlight his horse’s endurance aptness for the Leger. “He has always been held in high esteem, even though some have doubted him. Today, however, he proved his worth, indicating he is of high quality and I am overjoyed for him,” voiced Menuisier. “If the owners give the go-ahead, he could well compete in the Leger, revealing a potential top long-distance runner in our possession,” he further explicated.
The recent Irish Day saw an attendance of 11,418, a modest increase from last year’s crowd of 10,897.