AT LONG, long last, British and Irish racing may just have a chance to see another colt win the Triple Crown. Some 39 years after the legendary Nijinksy performed the feat, another Irish-trained horse, Sea The Stars, yesterday became the first horse since Nashwan 20 years ago to pull off the 2,000 Guineas-Investec Derby double at Epsom.
Now only the St Leger remains for Sea The Stars to join the ranks of the truly great. All of racing should hope that he will at least be given the opportunity to become a legend.
Given a masterful ride by 49-year-old Mick Kinane, who won his thi
rd Derby, it was perhaps significant that Sea The Stars was showing no signs of stopping as he crossed the line cosily ahead of favourite Fame and Glory. The immediate question on everyone's lips was whether trainer John Oxx would commit his charge to the St Leger and that Triple Crown bid, and he was very sceptical, it has to be said.
A quiet and erudite soul, Oxx is only too aware of the historic nature of a Triple Crown, not least because the death at 92 earlier this week of the last trainer to achieve the feat, Vincent O'Brien – the jockeys wore black armbands in memory of the maestro who trained six Epsom Derby winners – has brought the seeming impossibility of a horse winning Classic races at a mile, 12 and 16 furlongs into focus.
Oxx is aware of his colt's possible stamina limitations – many pundits and even the trainer himself were not sure Sea The Stars would stay the Derby's mile-and-a-half over Epsom's contours. But the colt managed every yard of the Derby and must have a chance of lasting out another two furlongs on Doncaster's flat turf.
"I'm a believer in the Triple Crown," said Oxx. "I think it will be won within the next 10 years with all these good middle-distance stallions about, but if we were worried about the trip for the Derby I think we'd be very worried going into the Leger if we had him entered.
"He could win at any distance. He could go back to a mile, and 10 furlongs is probably perfect for him. But I think the St Leger might be a bridge too far.
"We'll have to talk about it, of course, but this lad will be very good over a mile, and 10 furlongs."
Oxx's colt was bred for greatness as a half-brother to 2001 Derby winner Galileo whose trainer Aidan O'Brien's attempt to swamp the field with six runners ended in vain as the 11-4 second-favourite beat his well-backed 9-4 market leader Fame And Glory by a length and three-quarters.
Two other O'Brien horses, Masterofthehorse and Rip Van Winkle were a neck and a nose away in third and fourth respectively. The latter's jockey Johnny Murtagh held the record for Derby wins among the jockeys riding at Epsom, but he chose the wrong colt and had to watch two O'Brien stablemates beat him and also see Kinane equal his total of victories in the Blue Riband.
After the usual early bustling, the Irish veteran settled Sea The Stars in perfect position behind O'Brien's colts Golden Sword and Age Of Aquarius. Seamie Heffernan on Fame And Glory tracked Sea The Stars, but two furlongs out, Kinane let out the reins and the response from the Guineas winner was immediate.
The son of Cape Cross bolted clear, and valiantly though Heffernan tried, Fame And Glory never looked like catching the winner. Masterofthehorse made up plenty of ground from the rear while Rip Van Winkle got going all too late.
Golden Sword hung on for fifth while Crowded House made late headway to finish best of the home runners in sixth. O'Brien's well-backed Dante Stakes winner Black Bear Island was arguably the biggest disappointment as he did not handle the course and finished down the field.
Kinane, who was reputed to be retiring last year, said: "This is very special for me. This is the answer to my dreams at my time of life.
"When this lad came along last May I thought I'd better hang around a bit longer. I couldn't believe my luck, being bred as he was with the physical and mental attributes to be a great horse. He has given me a new lease of life and he is a pleasure to be around.
"I was going so easy all the way, it was as if we were going in slow motion. That's the key to him – he has serious tools, over any trip. He is so quick, he has a very high cruising speed and was nearly over-well today as he had improved enormously from Newmarket.
"John has done a fantastic job with him. He hit the gates and he is so quick I thought I was going to have to sit right behind the leader at one stage. He over-raced as they weren't going quick enough for him."
Oxx nominated the International at York, the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, and the Irish Derby as possible future races for Sea The Stars, and it remains to be seen whether yesterday's hero will go for the St Leger for which he will have to be supplemented. Surely after all these years, it must be worth a shout.
The full article contains 910 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
