Oath set for Curragh

The 220th Epsom Derby was won by the livewire Irish-bred colt Oath. who was ridden by racing's one-time hot-head, the Irish-born Kieren Fallon. Considering the Irish-trained hope, Saffron Walden, could never get into the contest and finished a disappointing seventh, there was a nice touch of green to the winner besides his silks.

Yet Saturday's great race invariably centred on Henry Cecil, as English as roast beef and a man with the cultivated air of a wastrel dandy. Some waster. Oath is English classic No 22 of Cecil's illustrious career and the third time he has completed the Oaks-Derby double in a season. Oh, and by the way, it was his fourth Epsom Derby. The image is now so transparent as to be slightly embarrassing. "Winning classics is a piece of cake," said Oath's Saudi owner Ahmed Salman at the post-race press conference. "All you do is buy a horse and send it to the genius Henry Cecil!" Standing next to Salman, Cecil reacted with deep draw on a cigarette and a muttered piece of self-deprecation.

But there was no disguising his pleasure. Not so much at the compliment but at the job done. Image is one thing but no trainer becomes a professional to be ranked with the all-time greats without ruthless ambition. It's racing's fortune that Cecil carries it off with a touch of style. The professionalism was apparent well before the start.

Oath was dangerously on his toes in the pre-race parade and it looked like it wouldn't take much for the cork to leave the keg completely. Fallon released him from the parade and cantered down early. That earned him a £1,000 fine but it wasn't his decision.

"I told Kieren if the horse was on his toes to just gallop down," Cecil said immediately afterwards. "If he is fined, I'll pay the first £100 and Prince Salman can pay the rest!"

With the cork still in place, Fallon gave Oath a wonderfully decisive ride through the race. From the generally unfavoured number one stall, he bounced the joint second favourite out to pick up an ideal position behind the pacesetters, All The Way and Salford Express. Even at that early stage it was clear that the favourite, Dubai Millennium, was in trouble as he refused to settle.

Michael Kinane had Saffron Walden out the back along with the Gary Stevens-ridden Beat All who was kept to the wide outside and didn't appear to come down the hill very well. Oath had no such problems and coming around Tattenham corner, Fallon, on his first Derby winner, was in position A. "I slipstreamed Daliapour who I thought was the one to beat. I held on for a bit as I didn't want to hang left and on to Daliapour, but once I had got past him I was sure nothing would catch us," said the Co Clare-born jockey.

Luca Cumani was thrilled with Daliapour and jockey Gerald Mosse, while Gary Stevens grinned: "My first Derby and I loved it. I hope it's the first of many."

Aidan O'Brien began the day with a £5,000 fine for withdrawing Tchaikovsky and it didn't get any better, with Saffron Walden just missing out on the prizemoney.

Pre-race concerns about the going proved groundless, but the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner will possibly benefit from a future drop in trip. As things stand, however, Oath looks sets for a mouth-watering clash with yesterday's French Derby winner, Montjeu, in the Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 27th.

"I will whisper Irish Derby in Henry's ear," said Ahmed Salman on Saturday, and Cecil's response was that it would be good to keep Oath to his own generation for the moment. Yesterday he confirmed that decision. Such decisiveness from the classic master usually spells trouble for the opposition.