Another UAE derby triumph for Aidan O’Brien

Dubai: Trainer Aidan O’Brien did it again in the UAE Derby. After he ended the domination of Saeed Bin Surour (seven wins) and Mike de Kock (five wins) with Daddy Long Legs last year, on Saturday night he was again spot-on with Lines Of Battle.

Jockey Ryan Moore rode a near-perfect race to steer the three-year-old War Front son to a solid win in the UAE Derby, which was sponsored by Al Naboodah, a Group 2 contest on the Tapeta surface over 1,950 metres.

However, it must be noted that pre-race favourite Secret Number missed his start and the Bin Surour runner ran into traffic before Silvestre De Sousa brought him to the front from the outside.

However, by then the experienced Moore had put the issue beyond doubt with the 33-1 Elleval from David Marnane’s yard running into second place.

With the UAE Derby included as part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the 100 points that Lines Of Battle has earned for Saturday’s effort has now made him a certainty for the Kentucky Derby. Elleval earned 40 for his second-place, while 20 went to third-place finisher Secret Number and 10 to fourth-place Snowboarder.

“To win here two years in a row is an amazing feeling. I think he broke well and got a good position early. Ryan [Moore] gave him a great ride and that made all the difference at the end,” said the Irish trainer O’Brien.

“The Kentucky Derby will be his next stop for sure,” said O’Brien.

After another big-race winning effort, Moore said, “The key [to victory] lay in me just allowing him to go and I did that from the start. I think the race went slow at the start.”

“Ultimately it was the best horse that won here. He liked the surface and his pedigree has shown through today,” added Moore.

Andy Smith, speaking on behalf of co-owner Derrick Smith, was elated. “This was a terrific performance. It was a slow-run race and I think Ryan [Moore] did a fantastic job in being tactically astute in handling him,” Smith said.

Bin Surour’s Secret Number, unbeaten in two starts, received a lot of support from the Pick Six followers, but was slowest to get off the stalls in the 1950-metre race.

For Marnane’s Elleval, it was a great result, and jockey Fergal Lynch said: “I thought I was going to get there. I got very excited at the furlong marker. The winner just kept going. He’s a good horse. I’m very grateful to the owners and the trainer for keeping me on the horse.

“He came there with a shout, but I do actually wonder if he stayed. I would like to watch it again. He still has to grow up a little bit more,” said Marnane.

“The horse took some time to settle. We’ll put him away now and I shall now target the Secretariat Stakes [at Arlington Park on August 17],” he said.

After the unfortunate result for Secret Number, De Sousa said: “He missed the break. I was further back than I wanted to be. I had to come wide and then he ran on well but it wasn’t his day.”

With inputs from Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter