Sea the Stars's Harzand Wins the Derby

THE DAY IS SAVED
In an Irish-dominated renewal of Epsom's G1 Investec Derby, it was His Highness The Aga Khan's Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) who led home his Ballydoyle compatriots US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) after surviving a late scare having ripped off a shoe on Saturday morning. Only allowed the chance to run close to the race by Dermot Weld, the winner of the G3 Ballysax S. on testing ground over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown Apr. 10 still attracted significant support into 13-2 regardless of the setback. Racing in mid-division under Pat Smullen early, the dark bay was sent past Idaho inside the last quarter mile and turned back the threat of US Army Ranger to beat that 7-2 favourite by 1 1/2 lengths. In doing so, he was providing his trainer and jockey with a first Derby victory and his owner-breeder with a fifth to match the achievement of his late father. “I won my first Classic with Blue Wind here many years ago, when I probably didn't have horses like this to win this great race,” Weld said. “It's wonderful to do it. We had a huge worry this morning, as he spread a plate travelling over and he was a very doubtful runner right up to about an hour ago. With great help from my colleagues and all my team, we made it.”

Saturday, Epsom, Britain
INVESTEC DERBY-G1, £1,545,000, EPS, 6-4, 3yo, 12f 10yT, 2:40.09, g/s.
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. £876,170. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 4-3-0-0, $1,320,018. *1/2 to Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), GSW & G1SP-Ire, $109,758; and Hazarafa (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}), SW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”bba-ireland-harzand”]2–US Army Ranger (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Moonstone (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £332,175.
3–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. £166,242.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, 5. Odds: 6.50, 3.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: Wings of Desire (GB), Humphrey Bogart (Ire), Red Verdon, Algometer (GB), Cloth of Stars (Ire), Massaat (Ire), Across the Stars (Ire), Deauville (Ire), Ulysses (Ire), Biodynamic (Ire), Port Douglas (Ire), Shogun (Ire), Moonlight Magic (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Harzand, who shaped like a typical Aga Khan slow developer when fifth on debut at Gowran Park in September, was surprisingly strong on his eye-popping 3-year-old bow when making light work of the testing ground to win his maiden by 16 lengths over 10 furlongs at Cork Mar. 26. Earning a shot at the Ballysax as a result, he produced another powerful effort to lead home TDN Rising Star Idaho there and while Dermot Weld was non-committal about his Derby prospects and Pat Smullen saw him as more of a St Leger type, the heavy rain that preceded this meeting made up the minds of connections to aim at the blue riband. With that plan almost undone by his late scare, he was soon showing no ill-effects in the race tracking old rival Idaho throughout in a mid-division pitch out wide as Ryan Moore watched on in rear aboard US Army Ranger. Sent after Idaho, who for a moment looked the most likely winner with Seamie Heffernan seemingly full of run in early straight, Harzand swamped him with 1 1/2 furlongs to race before the other Ballydoyle raider arrived on the scene. Whether US Army Ranger's effort of having to come wide and make up so much ground eventually told is difficult to assess, but there was no denying the show of staying force late on by the winner as the line approached. With the Irish triumvirate so far clear of the G2 Dante S. winner Wings of Desire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the latest renewal can only be seen as a solid one and the first four could renew rivalry back at The Curragh in three weeks. Provided the ground is not on the fast side there, Harzand who becomes the first Epsom Derby hero for his sire will be tough to pass given the more galloping nature of the Kildare track. For Urban Sea (Miswaki), the race was another triumph with her sire sons responsible for the first three home, while for the Aga Khan this success was a major boost for his “H” family which is being upgraded by the G3 Athasi S.-winning dam Hazariya. Also responsible for the talented juvenile of 2012 Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who won the G3 Silver Flash S. and was third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., she is a half-sister to the G3 Blue Wind S. winner Hazarista (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) and Handaza (Ire) (Be My Guest), who is the granddam of the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Seal of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}). She is also a half to Hazarama (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), the dam of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) who was an honourable fifth here. Hazariya also has a 2-year-old colt by Shamardal named Haripour (Ire) and a yearling filly by Fastnet Rock (Aus). Pat Smullen was full of admiration for Harzand as he soaked in his initial blue riband success and said, “It's a childhood dream to win this race and I've been at it a while now. The trouble we had with him this morning, I didn't know if he would get here, but it's a great team effort. He's a vastly improving horse and showed his true ability today. He found another gear when the second horse came to him.” Weld added, “The Irish Derby will probably be his next race. I've always believed in this horse and I entered him in the Arc, so that must be a target.” Aidan O'Brien was far from downcast about the efforts of the second and third and said, “US Army Ranger ran a great race and was a bit babyish early on, but we're not making any excuses. We'll see how the horse is and we're looking forward to running him again. Idaho ran very well in third and I think he'll come forward again, too.” John Gosden believed that the form will stand up to inspection as he reflected on the eclipse of Wings of Desire. “The horse has done us proud and has done nothing wrong. It's only his fourth run and it was a solid race–he came from a long way back and was unsuited by the ground, which I think is more soft than good-to-soft while the winner relished it. I couldn't be happier with the race he has run and the front four are very nice. When he gets his ground, the winner is going to be tough to beat anywhere but the Curragh is the obvious target for us. It's a lovely galloping track and will probably suit him better. He's learned a lot and is coming forward a lot and he'll love the Curragh if it dried up, but we won't be going to [Royal] Ascot, which was our original plan.”