Australia has Derby all to himself after Kingston Hill defection

Australia duly proved himself the best horse in today’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby but as he passed the post the 17th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh double, perhaps the most important horse in Ireland’s most prestigious classic was getting ready to go home to England.

Kingston Hill’s defection just over three hours beforehand due to quick ground conditions robbed the big race of almost all meaningful competitive edge, allowing his Epsom conqueror Australia little more than a lucrative workout in an €1.25 million industry showpiece that eventually saw just five lining up.

To add to the sense of anti-climax, Australia’s stable companion Geoffrey Chaucer was also taken out of the race by Aidan O’Brien having reportedly coughed a few times.

Australia’s obvious superiority over two inferior stable-companions, and two other locally trained colts, meant he started a prohibitive 1 to 8, and his duly unfussy two and a half length victory over those stable-companions, Kingfisher and Orchestra, hardly allowed him add to an already sky-high reputation.

Quite what such an uncompetitive renewal of Ireland’s most valuable classic does for the Derby’s own international reputation is impossible to immediately quantify but such a solo-show only confirms the statistical reality that O’Brien and Australia’a Coolmore Stud ownership continue to exert an overwhelming grip on the race.

It was an 11th victory for the champion trainer in 17 years. Coolmore have won it a dozen times in the same period. And to emphasise that dominance this latest clean sweep of the places was a fifth for Ballydoyle.

Australia provided O’Brien’s son Joseph with a second Irish Derby success after the 1 to 5 Camelot in 2012 and the champion jockey said: “He’s a good one alright. He has a great attitude and so much pace. The Irish Derby is a race you grow up watching. Riding in it is a dream: to win it is unbelievable.”

The Irish Champion Stakes, and a return to a mile and a quarter, in September could be next for Australia and O’Brien emphasised again his view that the son of Galileo and Ouija Board is “very special”.

The trainer said: “I’d say the Champion Stakes and a mile and a quarter is made for him. He might have a rest now and it will be up to the lads (Coolmore) to decide where he goes next.”

That all-aged race can at least be confidently expected to provide more of a challenge to Ballydoyle’s latest superstar.