Grey Swallow wins Irish Derby

Dermot Weld defied the odds to overturn a British raiding party headed by Epsom hero North Light as he sent out Grey Swallow to take the Budweiser Irish Derby at the Curragh today. The 10-1 chance stayed on strongly under Pat Smullen to give Weld his second winner of the race, eight years on from the shock success of Zagreb.

North Light, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained 8-11 favourite, was foiled only in the final 200 yards in his bid to complete a Derby double as the winner accelerated past on his way to a half-length triumph. With all of the first four home from Epsom taking the opportunity to renew rivalry three weeks on, British-trained runners appeared to hold all the aces coming into the race as they attempted to take the prize for the first time since 1994.

But Weld's reputation as a master of preparing his horses for the big occasion was again enhanced as the gamble of stepping Grey Swallow up in trip to a mile and a half paid off in style. Grey Swallow was settled in the pack by Smullen as Moscow Ballet set a good pace, with the Epsom second Rule Of Law and Let The Lion Roar sitting on his heels.

Kieren Fallon kept North Light in his customary handy position until winding the favourite up for a run which took him into the lead as the field turned into the straight. With Rule Of Law and Let The Lion Roar put in their place by North Light's relentless gallop, it looked as if the well-supported market leader was going to oblige.

But all the time Smullen was still going well in behind on Grey Swallow, who made a challenge just after the furlong pole. North Light fought hard under Fallon but the struggle was in vain, as Smullen's decision to challenge last of all was proved to be a winning move. The 150-1 outsider Tycoon put in a late run to snatch third from Rule Of Law, who beat the Epsom third Let The Lion Roar home once again as the Epsom form all but repeated itself.

Weld said: "I have never lost faith in this horse.  He worked superbly the other day and he is a very brave horse. There was a doubt about his stamina but my instincts told me that he would stay. This is extra special because he was bred by my mother, who still owns part of him.

"I am usually a pretty conservative person when it comes to training racehorses because they can so easily prove you wrong, but I really believed in this horse. I always felt that the best was yet to come. Pat Shanahan rode him in a piece of work last week and he had no doubt that he would get the trip.

"Also, he is a mentally relaxed horse and a beautiful mover with a long stride who has always given me every hope that he would get the trip. This was a very good Derby. The second horse is an exceptional colt, very progressive, but he just didn't have the pace."

Smullen, clearly delighted with the success, seconded the idea of Grey Swallow having beaten his rivals for toe. He said: "I knew he had the speed to beat them if he stayed the trip and that's how I rode him. When we started to make our challenge I knew that we would be able to outspeed them. I'm more happy for him than I am for me. He has always been a really good horse and he deserved this.

 "It's great to win the Irish Derby in front of so many people and to beat such good horses. I won't forget this day."

Ever the meticulous planner, Weld already has future targets in mind for his winner. He said: "I'd like to give him a break now.  He had a tough spring when it was very wet and I said before Newmarket that I wasn't totally happy with the horse. He has been on the go for a while and he has earned a rest. I would see the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc de Triomphe as his next two races for the year.

Azamour is a high-class horse and if he runs in the Irish Champion then it will be a good contest which we will look forward to. In contrast, Stoute insisted that North Light's future engagements were yet to be decided, despite Ladbrokes making him the 4-1 second-favourite behind Doyen for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot next month.

Stoute said: "He was second-best today and I have got no excuses. He ran straight to the line and he showed plenty of resolution. Kieren didn't say a lot afterwards. I'll talk to him on the plane home and we'll see where we go once we have checked the horse over. He ran a big race. He has only been beaten half a length and he has beaten all of the horses that were behind him at Epsom again."

Frankie Dettori praised his mount Rule Of Law for turning in another brave effort in fourth. He commented: "What can you say? He's been up against North Light in his last three races and he's been beaten three times but he has never run a bad race. He was up there with the pace and stayed on all the way to the line. He is so brave and he deserves to win a big one.
After being placed in both the Irish and English Guineas added a Classic win to his CV at the Curragh today, powering past warm favourite North Light to win the Budweiser Irish Derby.

The Dermot Weld-trained colt, ridden by Pat Smullen, took up the running from North Light in the final furlong and just held on by half a length, while Tycoon delivered a late challenge to finish third.

John Gosden's Day Flight was a non-runner in the race due to the good to firm ground.

Weld said: "I've always believed in this horse. There were doubts about him staying a mile and a half, but he worked superbly the other day and I knew I had him in good form.

"This was a very good Derby and an extra special win as he was bred by my mother, who also owns part of him."

Filed by Brendan Cole