Auguste Rodin Wins 2023 Epsom Derby for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore
Auguste Rodin, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, won the 2023 Epsom Derby on June 3, 2023, adding a further Classic to the Ballydoyle operation's remarkable record in the race and confirming the colt as the outstanding European three-year-old of his generation.
Key Takeaways
- Auguste Rodin won the 2023 Epsom Derby on June 3, 2023
- Trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle, Ireland — O'Brien's Derby winner count among the highest in the race's history
- Ridden by Ryan Moore, O'Brien's retained jockey
- The Epsom Derby is run over 1 mile 4 furlongs on the undulating Epsom Downs course in Surrey, England
- The Epsom Derby is the highest-profile Classic on the British flat racing calendar and part of the European Triple Crown
- Auguste Rodin went on to contest other major European middle-distance races as the season progressed
Why It Matters — Players
Why It Matters — Operators
Auguste Rodin won the 244th running of the Epsom Derby on June 3, 2023 at Epsom Downs in Surrey, England — trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle and ridden by Ryan Moore, the combination that has dominated European Classic racing for over a decade. The victory further extended O'Brien's remarkable record in the Epsom Derby, one of the most prestigious Flat races in the world, and confirmed Auguste Rodin as the outstanding European three-year-old at the middle distances.
The Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby is run over 1 mile 4 furlongs (approximately 2.4 kilometres) on the unique undulating, cambered track at Epsom Downs. The course demands a combination of speed, stamina, and an ability to handle the unique topography of Epsom — with the descent from Tattenham Corner into the straight creating a racing surface that differs markedly from the flat or gently undulating tracks that Classic horses typically encounter in their preparation races. The Derby attracts the best European three-year-old middle-distance horses and is the benchmark race for assessing Classic generation talent.
Aidan O'Brien's Record
Aidan O'Brien has trained more Epsom Derby winners than any trainer in the history of the race, a record built through the Ballydoyle operation's ability to develop and prepare the most talented European thoroughbreds year after year. O'Brien's Derby winners have included Galileo, High Chaparral, Camelot, Australia, Wings of Eagles, Masar (trained by one of O'Brien's former assistants at Godolphin), Anthony Van Dyck, Serpentine, Bolshoi Ballet, and others.
Ryan Moore, O'Brien's first-choice jockey, has developed an expert understanding of Epsom's unique demands over many years of riding for the Ballydoyle stable, making the partnership particularly effective at the Derby meeting.
Auguste Rodin's Campaign
Auguste Rodin's 2023 campaign at the Classic distances established him as one of the leading European middle-distance horses of his generation, with the Derby as the centrepiece of his three-year-old season. The colt's breeding — by Galileo's influence flowing through the Coolmore bloodstock operation — was consistent with the pedigree profile of previous Ballydoyle Derby winners.
- Source:
- Racing Post
- Published:
- June 3, 2023
- Original Article:
- View Source
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