NEWS
Aga Khan's Sinndar wins Epsom Derby
Posted: Saturday, June 17, 2000
Winner stays out of trouble, comes from behind and beats Sakhee by a length
SINNDAR produced the hallmark courage of an Aga Khan-bred to win the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), going away from the equally game Sakhee on June 10 at Epsom Downs.
Epsom Derby S. (Eng-G1)
Epsom, England, June 10, $1,630,440, about 11/2 miles, turf, good, 2:36.75
1— =SINNDAR (Ire), c. 3, Grand Lodge— =Sinntara (Ire), by Lashkari (GB).
2—Sakhee, c. 3, Bahri—Thawakib (Ire), by Sadler's Wells.
3— =Beat Hollow (GB), c. 3, Sadler's Wells—Wemyss Bight (GB), by Dancing Brave.
The result was a tribute to the training talents of John Oxx, who won the premier classic with his first runner and gave Ireland its first Epsom Derby success since Secreto shaded compatriot El Gran Senor in 1984.
The $945,655 first prize looked to be in Sakhee's grasp after the 4-to-1 second favorite led rounding Tattenham Corner and went for home under Richard Hills up the long, demanding straight.
But Johnny Murtagh, heeding the Aga Khan's advice—"be in the first five and don't get into trouble on the rails"—produced his mount before the two-furlong pole, and the 7-to-1 chance overhauled Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Sakhee 150 yards out to score by one length in final time of 2:36.75 on going that had dried to good.
Beat Hollow, the 7-to-2 favorite in the absence of King's Best, was five lengths back in third. Best of the Bests, who ran too freely for American jockey Chris McCarron, led home Godolphin's four-pronged assault, another four lengths back in fourth.
But the classic proved a disaster for the John Magnier-Michael Tabor partnership as Aidan O'Brien's much-vaunted Aristotle, running in the colors of Susan Magnier, could manage only tenth. It left jockey Mick Kinane saying: "He was always struggling with the strong pace."
To make matters worse, Tabor's Ian Balding-trained Kingsclere virtually bolted with Olivier Peslier and finished last of the 15 runners.
There was, though, some consolation for the Coolmore operation. The winner is by Grand Lodge, who stands at the Tipperary-based stud.
The homebred success of Sinndar was a sharp reminder to the rash of big spenders who dominate the world's sales rings, and the fact that the first four are homebreds further emphasized the point.
The Aga Khan was savoring his fourth Derby winner, following Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), and Kahyasi (1988). He is now just one short of his grandfather's quintet of heroes: *Blenheim II (1930), Bahram (1935), *Mahmoud (1936), My Love (1948), and *Tulyar (1952).
But, unlike his grandfather's winners, all of the Aga Khan's have been homebred. "In an operation the size of my own, to win the Derby is important," the Aga Khan said. "Sinndar has improved with each run and, all being well, will go for the Irish Derby (Ire-G1) at the Curragh on July 2."
The Aga Khan has an outstanding stallion prospect in Sinndar (by Grand Lodge—Sinntara, by Lashkari [GB]), who has the vital advantage of having also won a Group 1 race at a mile —the National Stakes (Ire-G1), sponsored by his owner, at the Curragh on September 19.
The Irish Derby should be something special as the winner and runner-up are likely to clash again at the Curragh.
Trainer Richard Hills said of John Dunlop's Sakhee: "I want to tackle the winner again. He is a very good horse but only beat me a length. Sakhee gave me 110%."
Richard Quinn rode Beat Hollow, whose preparation had been held up by mucus in the lungs. Quinn said: "The first two quickened and stayed on but my horse will be better suited to the Curragh than Epsom."
Nobody, though, would begrudge Murtagh, 30, his crowning glory. An unfortunate trifecta in the early 1990s of severe weight problems, too many late nights, and too many drinks was pushing him toward the precipice of disaster until the guiding hand of Oxx pulled him back.
Murtagh spent a period out of racing in 1992 and barely rode for Oxx for 18 months, during which time he had some rides over hurdles. But he returned and gained a string of big-race successes that later included the 1995 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on the stable's brilliant filly Ridgewood Pearl (GB).
Murtagh was the champion Irish jockey in 1995, '96, and '98. He reflected on his dark days, saying: "You get to a stage when you don't care very much for yourself and you don't care for anybody else around you. But Mr. Oxx and the Aga Khan stuck by me, and I knew I had to give 100% for myself and for them.
"I wake up every morning weighing 123 pounds or 124, but Mr. Oxx has told me not to try to ride below 121. It's a constant battle, but I try to keep myself both mentally and physically right and that's a great help. I try to have a proper meal at weekend, but it's usually vegetables or fish."
Oxx, 50 next month, took over training from his father in 1978. He said, tongue in cheek: "I will have to retire now, having won the Derby with my first runner! But I had not had a colt good enough to run here before."
Sinndar had been beaten just once in his four-start career prior to his Derby bid but ironically it was that defeat on his seasonal bow at Leopardstown on April 16 that gave his meticulous trainer the scent of Derby victory.
"He was beaten a head by Dermot Weld's Grand Finale over ten furlongs when trying to concede seven pounds," Oxx said. "Dermot's horses were flying at the time and it delighted me.
"Sinndar never shows much at home from his work with handicappers. Now he has won the Derby, and some of them are struggling to win ordinary races.
"But he looked the best I had ever seen him just before he came over here. The extra two furlongs and the strong pace were a big help, as was the fact that we knew he could act on any ground.
"He is a horse with great heart and, if he was going to win, he was going to do it this way."
Daliapour's Coronation Cup
The Aga Khan had set the scene for a memorable weekend the previous day when Daliapour (Sadler's Wells—Dalara, by Doyoun) showed great courage to win the Coronation Cup (Eng-G1) under an inspired ride from champion jockey Kieren Fallon.
Coronation Cup (Eng-G1)
Epsom, England, June 9, $388,200, about 11/2 miles, turf, good, 2:41.63
1— =DALIAPOUR (Ire), c. 4, Sadler's Wells— =Dalara (Ire), by =Doyoun (Ire).
2—Fantastic Light, c. 4, Rahy—Jood, by Nijinsky II.
3— =Border Arrow (GB), h. 5, Selkirk— =Nibbs Point (Ire), by Sure Blade.
The 11-to-8 favorite took the $232,920 first prize by three-quarters of a length from Godolphin's Fantastic Light, who hung badly while ridden by McCarron.
Daliapour, runner-up in both the English and Irish Derbys last season, was gaining his second success for Sir Michael Stoute and provided some consolation for his trainer having to pull the injured King's Best out of the Derby the day before.
The winner, who clocked 2:41.63 for the 1½ miles on good-to-soft ground, will bid for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-G1) at Ascot on July 29, provided the going is not fast.
Love Divine's Oaks
There was yet another homebred success in the same day's Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) when Lordship Stud's Love Divine (Diesis [GB]—La Sky [Ire], by Law Society) gave Henry Cecil, who trained both sire and dam, his seventh victory in the fillies' classic.
Epsom Oaks S. (Eng-G1)
Epsom, England, June 9, $512,424, about 11/2 miles, turf, good, 2:43.11
1— =LOVE DIVINE (GB), f. 3, Diesis (GB)—La Sky (Ire), by Law Society.
2— =Kalypso Katie (Ire), f. 3, Fairy King— =Miss Toot (GB), by =Ardross (Ire).
3— =Melikah (Ire), f. 3, Lammtarra—Urban Sea, by Miswaki.
She went on before the two-furlong pole under Richard Quinn and took the $297,206 first prize by two lengths from Kalypso Katie, with McCarron-ridden Melikah a fast-finishing third a neck away.
Cecil said of his supplemented winner, who clocked 2:43.11 for the 1½ miles: "She is a very good filly indeed. Love Divine blew for fully 40 minutes after winning the Lupe Stakes at Goodwood last month, and I didn't have time to give her another run she needed before this. She, too, was very ill and also suffered from mucus on the lungs and had to be treated. There is a lot of improvement to come from her, but I don't want to take on colts with her yet."
Undefeated Egyptband takes Prix de Diane
EGYPTBAND produced a searing turn of foot to cut down odds-on favorite Volvoreta to land the first prize in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (Fr-G1) at Chantilly on June 11.
The unbeaten Criquette Head-trained winner, by Dixieland Band out of Egyptown (Fr), by Top Ville, had been restricted to just two career runs prior to the Diane because of training problems, but she settled nicely for Olivier Doleuze in the French classic.
The favorite looked to have the race won as she swept clear two furlongs out, but Egyptband was soon beside her and drew clear by three lengths in 2:08.50 for the about 10½ furlongs. Goldamix finished third.
Head, gaining her first French Oaks success since Harbour (Fr) in 1982, said: "Olivier gave my filly a brilliant ride and did not hurry her. She is special and I will rest her until the Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) in September."
Alan Smith is an England correspondent of Thoroughbred Times.
