Time will tell how good an Investec Epsom Derby winner Harzand proves to be but as he’s trained by Dermot Weld what is already inarguable is that he was an entirely appropriate winner of Saturday’s great race.
Once the Aga Khan-owned colt’s racing career is over, and the drama of the spread plate that almost scuppered his chances of running is reduced to another piece of Derby folklore, what will be immutable is Harzand’s name on racing’s most exclusive roll-of-honour.
It has defined the sport for centuries and if Pat Smullen momentarily seemed overwhelmed by such historical connotations, the champion jockey was impressively quick to point out the significance of having ridden a Derby winner for Weld in particular who he called "the greatest trainer in the world".
Such verdicts are by definition subjective yet Weld’s global impact over four decades means his name is automatically accepted as being worthy of inclusion in any such fanciful debates.
Racing pioneer
The 67-year-old has been an international racing pioneer, still the only European to win a leg of the American Triple Crown, the man who broke the mould with Vintage Crop’s historic Melbourne Cup in 1993, before emphasising the point again with Media Puzzle nine years later.
From Royal Ascot to the more rustic delights of the Galway festival, and the unofficial title of “King of Ballybrit”, with every classic on his Curragh doorstep at least once in between, Weld has proved himself a master of his craft.
No Irish trainer has put more winners through his hands.
There are almost 4,000 of them now, and still counting. But the classic that matters most had remained frustratingly elusive.
You don’t train horses for over 40 years without possessing patience and a career that began competing against the genius of Vincent O’Brien before butting heads with the might of Aidan O’Brien’s new Ballydoyle operation automatically requires persistence.
A man as famously smooth as Weld would never say so but such a competitive character wouldn't be human not to have looked at contemporaries John Oxx and Jim Bolger joining O'Brien on the roll-of-honour in the race that matters most, in the 31 years since he first tried, and not felt a nagging lack.
Most urbane
“I had won 22 classics before Saturday, but not an Epsom Derby. It had to be done. It was important to me,” he conceded on Sunday, as close to a raucous, fist-pumping yell of triumph as this most urbane of men is ever likely to display.
That Harzand was the one to finally do it was appropriately historic, a fifth Derby winner for the Aga, to match his grandfather's tally, and the 19th time a horse trained in Ireland won out. None of them took as dramatic route to Derby glory as the latest one.
Nijinsky briefly gave signs of colic a couple of days before his Derby in 1970. Golden Fleece coughed in 1982. But Harzand’s spread plate before flying to Epsom on Saturday morning required emergency treatment that had Smullen under instructions to pull him out at the start if the colt felt lame.
As preparations for destiny go, it was hardly ideal but Harzand showed admirable courage to gallop around the unique track and hold off the favourite, US Army Ranger, with another O’Brien colt, Idaho, in third.
A day later, Weld said: “We took the shoe off this morning and he’s sore, as you’d expect. But he’ll be okay in a couple of days.
“The Irish Derby would look the logical next step providing there is good ground. I wouldn’t like to run him on anything faster than good. If it turns into very dry ground I would imagine he will have a holiday and we’ll look at the Arc.
Improve dramatically
“I think it will prove to be a good Derby. What you find with these top middle-distance colts is that they can improve dramatically within a few weeks. In fairness, I think US Army Ranger was the same. And Idaho is a colt I rate highly.”
Initial bookmaker reaction was to make Harzand a slight favourite over US Army Ranger should they clash in the Irish Derby later this month.
The 237th Epsom hero is also a general 10-1 shot for European racing’s other most coveted, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Weld and Smullen haven’t won an Arc yet but the team can look to the Autumn with bounce in their step after the jockey reflected on Sunday on his “greatest day in racing”.
Harzand’s step should be bouncy again by then too.
