THOU SHALT NOT PASS
Coming into Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby much as he did the Epsom one with a cloud of doubts hanging over him, His Highness The Aga Khan's Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) drew on the steel for which he is already renowned for to prevail in a thrilling battle with Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and join an elite club of dual Derby heroes on The Curragh's hallowed ground. Sent off the 4-6 favourite despite Dermot Weld's several notes of caution in the race's lead-up, the dark bay followed the predictably stern pace in third throughout and was sent to the front by a committed Pat Smullen in early straight. Ryan Moore was on his case straightaway on Idaho and for a spell it looked as if the Epsom placings would be reversed, but Harzand reached down into his considerable reserves to assert in the last 100 yards and win by a half length. “He has such courage and determination–I needed him to dig deep for me and he did,” his rider commented. “He's such a great horse and this matches Epsom. The pressure was on today and we pulled it off. I don't think I've ever ridden such a courageous horse. I just can't get over his courage in the last half-furlong. When they're as good as this and as determined as this it just makes it easy. There's no knowing where this horse will end up–he's not just tough, he's got pace.”
For a colt having only the fifth outing of his life here, Harzand has that admirable and highly desirable will-to-win that makes it feel that he has been around a lot longer. Few would have believed that he could ascend to such heights in such a short timescale after his debut fifth over a mile at Gowran Park in September, no matter how eye-catching that “notebook” performance was. When he reappeared with a 16-length maiden win from the subsequent Listed Queen's Vase scorer Sword Fighter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) over 10 furlongs at Cork Mar. 26, it was obvious that the homebred had made more-than-usual progress over the winter but as that came on heavy ground in a race which was hard to measure at the time he stayed under the radar. Even after his 1 1/4-length defeat of TDN Rising Star Idaho on a similarly testing surface in the G3 Ballysax S. over that trip at Leopardstown Apr. 10, Harzand was being cast as more of a Leger type with the inference that he lacked the class edge to win at Epsom. What happened at home in the build-up to the blue riband obviously drew the eye of Dermot Weld and with unseasonal rain coming to Surrey he was placed on course for his date with destiny.
Despite his morn-of-race scare due to a ripped-off shoe, the more significant story of Derby day was the mass of support that continued for him regardless which spoke volumes. After beating off Idaho again in Epsom's undulating home straight, a lesser horse would have folded as US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) delivered the surge that Aidan O'Brien had witnessed on the Ballydoyle gallops but Harzand was unflinching and pulled out a significant margin of 1 1/2 lengths on that rival in the final yards. Weld, who had talked after the Ballysax of him being a “backward horse”, had to nurse him back after that bottoming effort and every question he asked over the interim three weeks was duly answered as this feted contest loomed. Keen to allow Harzand to complete the Derby double as the likes of Galileo (Ire), Generous (Ire), Shergar (GB), Troy (GB), Grundy (Ire) and Nijinsky had done, his trainer was also minded not to push him beyond his limit and his part-inherent and part-learnt ability to judge this correctly ultimately paid handsome dividends.
Full of enthusiasm at first to scotch any fears as to his wellbeing, he was asked to take restraint by Pat Smullen as his pacemaker Ebediyin (Ire) (Raven's Pass) was organised to spearhead the race. Last year's G2 Beresford S. scorer Port Douglas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was just ahead and a more realistic target for Harzand's jockey who despite the concerns that dogged the build-up showed total belief in the event itself. Any other rider would have been forgiven for taking a more defensive stance given his mount's post-Epsom experience, but Smullen was as focused as his partner and he duly sent him upsides the pace-setters once straightened for home. Not asked a serious question for the first few strides in front, he was almost jumped by Idaho as Ryan Moore saw his chance but as soon as that rival drew alongside the Aga Khan's representative gave instant reply. Matched for more than a furlong, the duo drew away from the race's surprise package Stellar Mass (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in third and while neither showed any weakness it was a simple case of Harzand possessing a touch more quality at the death.
This was the culmination of a week in which Weld brought up his 4,000th winner with one of his late mother's homebreds and the master of Rosewell House was left basking in one of the pinnacles of his distinguished training career. “It was a great day, a great ride–a special day. It was a proper horse race,” he said. “This is a very, very special race and I've been enjoying it since I was a child. I've been fortunate enough to win it three times now. I was concerned because he had a very hard race at Epsom. We always knew he was very tough, but he had to be 110 per cent today I knew Aidan would have his horse better than at Epsom, so I knew our horse had to be better than at Epsom to win again. He ran a magnificent race. He showed the speed that he has today. Those two horses really picked up and quickened. Idaho is a high-class horse, he's always been that and he was at his best today. He'll have a good break now and we'll train him for the [G1] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe [at Longchamp Oct. 2].”
His Highness The Aga Khan was on hand to witness his sixth Irish Derby hero and a fifth in his colours to complete the Epsom-Curragh double. Harzand's victory is immediate justification for his decision to turn to Weld in 2013, as he is one of the first to represent the legendary owner-breeder and trainer. He said, “I am very deeply attached to Irish racing and it is a wonderful occasion. I want to thank all the team behind this effort, who produce excellent horses year after year. It's a confirmation of the continuity of the breeding, training and thinking behind it and my team have been performing for a long time now. They have done wonders and the six winners I have had were all homebreds, which shows the strength of activity behind it. This horse is very good. It's a wonderful family and we checked him with all our mares and he'll mate very well with them, so we're looking forward to when he goes to stud and we'll be right behind him. Things are shaping up very well. I'm not sure we really know his limits. Neither at Epsom nor here, I don't think we've seen the best of this horse, he can do more.”
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH DERBY-G1, €1,500,000, CUR, 6-25, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:38.05, g/y.
1–HARZAND (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Hazariya (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $167,872), by Xaar (GB)
2nd Dam: Hazaradjat (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hazy Idea, by Hethersett (GB)
O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Pat Smullen. €855,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 5-4-0-0, €1,931,046. *1/2 to Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), GSW & G1SP-Ire, $109,758; and Hazarafa (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}), SW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Idaho (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Hveger (Aus), by Danehill. (750,000gns Ylg '14 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Hveger Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €300,000.
3–Stellar Mass (Ire), 126, c, 3, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Juno Marlowe (Ire), by Danehill. (280,000gns Ylg '13 TATFOA). O-Mrs June Judd; B-Tinnakill House & Alan Byrne (IRE); T-Jim Bolger. €150,000.
Margins: HF, 3 3/4, SHD. Odds: 0.67, 2.75, 33.00.
Also Ran: Red Verdon, Port Douglas (Ire), Moonlight Magic (GB), Shogun (Ire), Claudio Monteverdi (Ire), Ebediyin (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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