By Tom Frary
Prior to Leopardstown's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Aidan O'Brien had already saddled the winner of the fillies' maiden and the first four home in colts' equivalent and so it was hardly a shock that his trio dominated the finish to Tuesday's blue riband pointer. What was surprising was that it was Michael Tabor's Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) who held sway over the 11-8 favourite Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Iberia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with the grey blown by a fair wind on a day for the front-runners. Left alone by the punters due to a largely uninspiring juvenile record and an assumption he was there for pacemaking duties, the 12-1 shot nonetheless naturally carried the threat of a major upgrade having moved connections to invest 1.05million gns at Tattersalls October Book 1. Enlivened by blinkers, he was quickly placed at the head of affairs by Padraig Beggy, Ballydoyle's little-used but unerringly-potent secret weapon. Digging deep up the straight as all four rivals lined up behind for a swing, he was game to the death and held half-length and 1 1/2-length margins over his stablemates as he brought up a 13th renewal for the master trainer.
Sent off favourite for his debut over a mile here in July, Cormorant was sixth behind TDN Rising Star Free Solo (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) prior to beating Agitare (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) by a short head over the same course and distance the following month. Fifth when attempting to make all behind Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) on his third visit here for the G2 Champions Juvenile S. on the Irish Champion S. undercard in September, he was again run down when second to another stablemate in Persia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a conditions event over this 10-furlong at Chelmsford in November.
“He's a colt that had plenty of racing last year and I think that stood to him today,” the winning rider said. “He jumped out, knew his job, went a good gallop and from halfway he kept galloping like Aidan said he would and kept going well. He's an honest horse, it was first-time blinkers and they seemed to work. He kept finding plenty. I was good and aggressive with him and from halfway got him going. The last furlong I was letting him just do enough to win. He's a horse that can hopefully keep on improving. I'd say as the year goes on he might even handle a little bit of cut in the ground.”
Russian Emperor's rider Seamie Heffernan said of the beaten favourite, “It didn't go according to plan. That said, the winner is no slouch. Aidan doesn't bottom them at home and lets them show up and race. Mine is a lovely horse and had I ridden him from the front I might have won.”
Cormorant's dam Shemya (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) was let go by the Aga Khan after her narrow win on Chantilly's Polytrack in 2014 and it was Blandford Bloodstock who stepped in for her with a prevailing bid of €160,000 at the Arqana December Sale. That has proven a bargain and even looked to be at the time, with her being a daughter of the talented G3 Prix de Lutece and G3 Prix Allez France winner Shemima (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}). Among the descendants of the third dam Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}), who captured the G1 Prix de Diane, are the Classic-placed Shamkiyr (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Shakeel (Fr) by Shemima's sire Dalakhani. Her 2-year-old colt Sheringham (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 100,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, while a month later her colt foal by Postponed (Ire) fetched 150,000gns when knocked down to Yeomanstown Stud also at Tattersalls.
Tuesday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DERRINSTOWN STUD DERBY TRIAL S.-G3, €118,000, Leopardstown, 6-9, 3yo, 10fT, 2:08.88, g/f.
1–CORMORANT (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Kingman%20(GB)#tot">Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Shemya (Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Shemima (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire)
3rd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (135,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA; 1,050,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Michael E Wates (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Padraig Beggy. €54,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $80,178. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Russian Emperor (Ire), 131, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Atlantic Jewel (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Laurie Macri, Susan Magnier, et al; B-Coolmore, Lauri Macri & Partners (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €18,000.
3–Iberia (Ire), 131, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Beauty Bright (Ire), by Danehill. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €9,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 12.00, 1.38, 2.50.
Also Ran: Agitare (Ire), Sunchart (GB). Scratched: Baby Zeus (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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