What was billed as a new dawn for the Epsom Derby (G1) ended in an all too familiar scene in the Epsom winner's enclosure, as Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners took the plaudits after securing a record-extending 12th victory with Christmas Day.
For the organizers, Christmas Day might have been a better afternoon to run the classic, with the great British weather ensuring most were soaked to the bone.
The race itself certainly looked different. Wet weather has never before swayed the jockeys to shun the stands' side rail in the Derby, but it speaks volumes of how soft conditions had become that the runners fanned across the course in the home straight.
No one was entirely sure where the best ground lay, but it was not hard to pick out the pink silks of Christmas Day through the driving rain, as he moved easily to the lead more than 3 furlongs out and then plowed through the ground in remorseless fashion.
The Camelot colt ended up all alone in the center of the track as he crossed the line 2 3/4 lengths clear of plucky runner-up Maltese Cross, with a further 2 1/2 lengths back to James J Braddock.
While it was familiar territory to Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Peter Brant in whose silks Christmas Day prevailed, it was completely new to winning rider Ronan Whelan who, according to the betting, was on the third of O'Brien's four strings in the race, but who ended up with the biggest success of his career at 33.
"Obviously, you never count your chickens until you pass the line, but I suppose the beauty about being on the third or fourth string is there's a lot less pressure," Whelan said. "If things don't go right, it's not the end of the world—nobody's expecting too much. It literally worked out how we thought it would, and he's done it so easily."
Apprentice champion in Ireland in 2012, Whelan has enjoyed notable success with the likes of Jim Bolger, Patrick Prendergast, Ado McGuinness, and Michael Halford in the past. But it was when Halford announced plans to retire from training almost two years ago that Whelan began to take a more active role within Ballydoyle.
Christmas Day's success made it three group 1 winners for Whelan and the Ballydoyle team in the last nine months, having scored the same number of top-flight wins in the previous 16 years, and it is fair to say the move has rejuvenated his career.
"The beauty of riding for Aidan is that he fills you with confidence," Whelan said.
O'Brien's 12th Derby success came 25 years on from his first with Galileo and marked his 50th success in a British classic. Having won three Derbies in succession between 2012 and 2014, he has now won the last four as he continues his utter domination of the classic.
On his latest landmark, O'Brien said: "To win one classic is so difficult, let alone 50. But it's not me, it's everybody else. Everybody knows I'm a very small part of a big team, with Coolmore, Ballydoyle, and all the farms around, and all the people who do all the different jobs. There are so many people I don't mention, the people in the offices and the people on the ground in Ballydoyle, Coolmore, and everywhere."
Derby Favorite Declared Non-runner
The betting market on the Derby was thrown into chaos some 20 minutes after the race when longtime favorite Benvenuto Cellini was ruled to have been a non-runner.
The O'Brien-trained colt missed the break under Ryan Moore and was never able to reach a challenging position, eventually finishing 10th.
But the stewards then held an inquiry to look into whether he had a fair start. Overhead television footage appeared to show that his near hind leg was on the shelf in the stalls when the gates opened and he was deemed a non-runner.
That meant bets placed on Benvenuto Cellini after declarations June 3 were refunded and those placed on the winner Christmas Day were subject to a Rule 4 deduction of 25 pence in the pound. However, some bookmakers waived the deduction.
Explaining the decision, British Horseracing Authority head of stewarding Shaun Parker said: "Soon after the horses left the starting gates we were notified that the favorite had his left hind leg on the running board just before the start, which resulted in him not being able to jump on terms with the field. He was standing on three legs when the stalls opened.
"We then considered the fact that, in terms of our rules, he had been denied a fair start. Having got evidence from Ryan Moore that he wanted to go forward with the horse, we noted that he was very slowly into stride and was second-last shortly after the start and was really on the back foot from the start. His race had basically, in our view, been negatively affected.
"On that basis, in terms of Rule H6, we can then declare a horse a non-runner."
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