June 7 (UPI) — While American racing attention was riveted to Saratoga during the Belmont Festival weekend, much of the rest of the world had eyes on Epsom Downs for the Derby and the Oaks or on Tokyo Racecourse, where Japanese milers tackled the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen.
Of course, Derby was the main course.
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Aidan O’Brien was a solid favorite to saddle his 12th Derby winner and fourth in a row, Saturday at Epsom Downs. And he did, but not without some surprises and a dash of controversy.
O’Brien had four runners in the Classic, including the favorite, Benvenuto Cellini, a Frankel colt who won the Group 3 Chester Vase as his entry to the big race.
But when the gates were sprung open for the Derby, Benvenuto Cellini got away well back in the field and it was two other O’Brien colts, Action and Christmas Day, who showed the way on the rain-soaked course.
Action faded late after doing his job but Christmas Day, a Camelot colt, kept right on running and drew off to win by 3 lengths under Ronan Whelan. Maltese Cross was second and James J. Braddock, trained by Aidan’s son, Joseph Patrick O’Brien, finished third. Benvenuto Cellini? He struggled home 10th.
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Cue the controversy.
The stewards hit the “inquiry” button and took a look at an overhead view of the start, finding Benvenuto Cellini had one hind leg resting on a shelf inside the gate at the start and was unable to shove off cleanly.
He was declared a non-starter, a decision that didn’t compensate for his lost chance, but did create havoc for bookmakers and punters, who suddenly were in line to get or give refunds.
All that aside, Christmas Day clearly was the horse of the day, coming to Epsom off a third in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
“It isn’t always the obvious horse,” O’Brien said, according to Racing Post. “I suppose that’s what makes it exciting and Ronan gave him a great ride. He was always in the right position.
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“We felt that the horse was better than he had shown in the Dante and he has form on soft ground, but he stays and he’s hard.”
The Derby was the feature, but far from the day’s only stellar attraction.
Never mind the weather, the soft ground or the crafty ride by Oisin Murphy. Never mind either, as it turned out, the stellar opposition. Bay City Roller was a deserving upset winner of Saturday’s Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in his own right.
Always in contention as the rain fell, the wind blew and the ground got more sticky by the minute, Murphy kept Bay City Roller in the mix until the field rounded Tattenham Corner.
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Then he, alone, steered his mount out to the center of the course, where he exploded to a 10-length win. Jan Breugel was second, 5 1/2 lengths better than 2025 Derby winner Lambourn. Callandagan, the world’s top rated horse for 2025, chucked it in coming around the corner and essentially was eased home fourth, more than 40 lengths in arrears.
“He’s a consummate professional, a freak of a horse,” trainer George Scott said said of the winner, a 4-year-old New Bay colt. “I’m so pleased he’s proved how good he is today.
“When the weather looked like it might turn, I was keen to prepare him for this race, and from that point onward, it was inevitable we were going to run. He stays so well and a mile and one-half on soft ground is his bread and butter.”
While Scott had been doing his rain dance in aid of his colt’s chances, trainer Francis Graffard was ruing his decision to ask Calandagan and jockey Mickael Barzalona to cope with the conditions.
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“It’s awful ground and awful weather,” Graffard said. “My horse never traveled and I’m upset with myself. I’ve never seen him having a hard blow like that [after a race].
I just hope he comes out well, but the ground was terrible for him today. Mickael said he never traveled comfortably and that the ground is too testing for him. I shouldn’t have run him.”
Friday was Oaks Day and a bit of a coming-out party for the younger O’Brien and Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The young duo were the force behind Thundering On, a Frankel filly who lived up to her name, rallying from near the rear to win the Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths. Aidan O’Brien’s trio, Sugar Island, Cameo and the favorite, Amelia Earhart, finished third, fifth and sixth, respectively.
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McMonagle is 25. Joseph Patrick O’Brien is 33. First in the Oaks. Third in the Derby. Stay tuned.
Japan
With last year’s winner, Jantar Mantar, absent and an early favorite, Admire Zoom, a late scratch, Sunday’s Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse looked like a good spot for an improving miler to make a mark in Japan’s Mile division. Few reckoned it would be Sixpence.
But the 5-year-old son of Kizuna did just that. He had not finished better than seventh in any of his previous Grade 1 starts and started this year finishing ninth in the Grade 1 February Stakes and seventh in the Grade 1 Yomiuri Milers Cup. On Sunday, with Yutaka Take riding for the first time, he was a different animal.
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After tracking early leader World’s End, Sixpence closed the gap in the final 200 meters to reach even terms with some 50 meters to go and put a neck in front at the crucial moment. World’s End and the favorite, late-running Gaia Force, dead-heated for second.
Take, who was a late replacement in the irons, said he was told Sixpence “was capable to maintain good speed to the wire. So, my plan was to have him up front, even lead if necessary, and although the front runners were pretty tenacious in the final stretch with horses also coming from behind, Sixpence was very responsive.”
Sixpense earned a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, and the top three finishers all qualified for France’s two Group 1 mile races.
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