The man of the moment, however, was 49-year-old Irish Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who won his seventh derby to put his name in the hall of fame alongside John Porter, Robert Robson, and Fred Darling as the trainers with most wins (7) in the derby.
The County Tipperary trainer always had a good chance of success in this race as he saddled seven of the thirteen horses running in the one-and-a-half-mile race. He will, of course, be delighted with all his horses’ performances. His stable secured three of the top four spots and five of the first six.
The previously unbeaten Sir Dragonet was the bookies favourite at 11/4, but it looked like runner-up Madhmoon was going to take the glory. However, Anthony Van Dyck surged at the last to claim victory, proving his victory in the Lingfield Derby Trial three weeks ago was no fluke.
Jockey Seamie Heffernan said after the race that he had been sure of the win, and while his confidence was well-founded, his horse had to work hard to secure the win. In the final furlong, Sir Dragonet and Madhmoon were challenging for the lead, but Anthony Van Dyck had the stamina against the far rail to claim the win.
A humble O’Brien appreciated the win but was quick to point out it was a collective effort, and he thanked all those who took part in facilitating the success. He said the win was fortunate due to the severe conditions and the quality of the field. He also praised Heffernan and noted that while it was a big ask, Heffernan had delivered the goods.
The late Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was represented by his horse Bangkok, who began the race @ 9-1 odds but was well off the pace and finished in 12th place. Another disappointment was the performance of Circus Maximus, also trained by O’Brien and ridden by Derby winner Frankie Dettori. Highly fancied after his one-and-a-quarter length win in the Dee Stakes, but he faded badly and finished sixth.
The mile and a half race is one of Britain’s most iconic events and has been held at Epsom Downs racecourse since 1780. With a total prize fund of £1.6m and the winner taking home about £900,000, it is highly competitive. The race features a long uphill drag from the start, a left bend, and a downhill gallop into the straight, before a lung-busting uphill finish. If that were not already hard enough, the riders are well aware that royalty is present. Her Majesty the Queen is a regular at the race and has missed just two races since 1946.
Investec Derby 2019 – full results
1st Anthony Van Dyck 13-2, 2nd Madhmoon 10-1, 3rd Japan 20-1, 4th Broome 4-1. 5th Sir Dragonet, 11-4f, 6th Circus Maximus 10-1, 7th Humanitarian 33-1, 8th Norway 33-1, 9th Line Of Duty 25-1, 10th Sovereign 50-1, 11th Hiroshima 100-1, 12th Bangkok
