SEVEN-UP AND RELIEF ALL ROUND: Camelot maintained his unbeaten record in the mud at the Curragh yesterday winning the Irish Derby by two lengths. Trainer Aidan O’Brien, winning the race for the 7th time in-a-row, declared: “I never would have believed it could ever happen. He’s by far the best we’ve had – we’ve never had anything like this.”
It was a day of drama, high tension and in the end huge relief as Camelot added the Irish Derby to the Epsom Derby and is now unbeaten in five.
In a surprise move, the O’Brien second favourite, Imperial Monarch by-passed the race (because of the ground) which caught everyone out as it was desperate when he won at Sandown.
That left Camelot even shorter and a Triple Crown bid at Doncaster is surely now on the agenda. Depending on how he comes out of this, O’Brien hasn’t ruled out that being his next race.
As a final postscript to the race, it’s woth repeating the quote from Aidan, which has to be put in context with the sensational horses he has had over the years.
I never would have believed it could ever happen. He’s by far the best we’ve had – we’ve never had anything like this
Back to business, or not as is the case. O’Brien has ruled out Oaks heroine Was and top juvenile Maybe from this afternoon’s Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
The field is down to four with Up the sole runner for O’Brien but Sapphire will prove a tough nut to crack with her proven winning form on soft ground.
I’m not wanting to take around evens about True Verdict in the 3.10. She has run well in two starts but they were on better ground and we have a few runners here that could easily improve and handle the ground better.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Sapphire (4.20 Curragh)
LAY: True Verdict (3.10 Curragh)
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