Five years after she was purchased at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $1.1 million by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier, Believe’N’Succeed (Exceed and Excel) paid her new owners back in a big way with her son Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning the G1 Investec Derby.
One of seven runners for Coolmore and trainer Aidan O’Brien, the colt had stable stalwart Seamie Heffernan aboard. He was among the first to break from the barriers but as the field settled, Heffernan settled his mount near the rear of midpack with stablemate Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo) setting a strong pace in front.
With 400 metres left to run, it looked like Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) would be the winner for O’Brien if he could put Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) away. But he also had to worry about a few of his stablemates with a wall of horses closing in behind them.
Anthony Van Dyck was behind that pack, struggling to find clear running room as Heffernan tried to angle him out to the centre of the track before going back toward the running rail. It was there that Anthony Van Dyck found a hole, flying through to join the fight for the lead.
Anthony Van Dyck took a narrow lead over Sir Dragonet and Madhmoon inside the final furlong as stablemates Japan (Ire) (Galileo) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) came up along the outside of the duelling pair to stage a finish for the ages. Hugging the rail, Anthony Van Dyck finished a half-length ahead of Madhmoon, who was in a four-way photo for second. In all, the top five horses were within three-quarters of a length of the winner with O’Brien training all but the second placed runner.
The win was also a huge milestone for Heffernan, who won his first Investec Derby in 12 tries.
“I’m in the last ten years of my riding career, so it means a lot,” he told Thoroughbred Daily News. “I rode his father in a trial and I’ve ridden plenty of Derby horses and ridden in plenty of Derbys, so I’m always confident riding for Aidan.
"He trains them for the big day. I haven’t had to take a pull going down to the two for a long time, so I knew I was going to get plenty of money. Having to take a hold of him two down probably helped and he’d been running up the back-ends of horses over seven furlongs as a two-year-old.”
Aidan O’Brien was registering his seventh Derby victory as a trainer, a record-equaling victory. O’Brien was also responsible for seven of the first 10 home with Madhmoon, Humanitarian (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}), and Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) the only top 10 finishers not from the stable.
“I am privileged to be part of the team with everybody–the lads put so much in day in, day out,” O’Brien told Thoroughbred Daily News.
“There are so many people from the ground right up to the riders, the people in the office, the farriers, the vets, the people that do the stables day in and day out, that do the farms. Patrick rides this horse out all the time and does a great job, Andrew is in charge of him, Sumi, who leads him up, and John–they are incredible people.
“I am privileged to be part of the team with everybody." - Trainer Aidan O'Brien
"I am so privileged and delighted and grateful to them. It is incredible to be in the position to be a record holder, we never thought we’d be in this position. We have to pinch ourselves everyday, we are working with the best people, with the most incredible horses with the unbelievable pedigrees and physiques, in an incredible facility.”
Anthony Van Dyck’s dam, G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (f) winner Believe’N’Succeed, produced a Street Cry (Ire) filly from the mating she was carrying through the ring at Magic Millions in 2014. Named Achieved, that filly was sold at the 2016 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale for $175,000 a month and a half before her half-brother was born in mid-May.
Anthony Van Dyck isn’t the first major success story out of the mare with her first foal, Bounding (Lonhro), a New Zealand champion. Purchased for $1.9 million at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, she is currently at stud in Kentucky at Stonestreet Farm.
Pacific Ocean provides Atlantic Jewel with first winner
Half an hour before Australia was represented in England with Anthony Van Dyck’s Investec Derby victory, two-time Australian champion Atlantic Jewel’s (Fastnet Rock) 3-year-old Pacific Ocean (Galileo) (Ire) registered his maiden victory in Ireland.
Running in the last race at Navan for Aidan O’Brien, Pacific Ocean broke well from a wide draw in the 1600 metre race and took over the lead as he angled toward the rail. He led by a few lengths through most of the race but had to dig deep in the closing metres as Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}) closed in on his lead. He found another gear and again started to extend his margin in the last 100 metres to win by 2 ½ lengths in his fourth career start.
A four-time Group 1 winner in her native country, Atlantic Jewel is also a half-sister to Group 1 winner Commanding Jewel (Commands). Atlantic Jewel was sent to Coolmore’s Ireland base at the conclusion of her racing career and has visited Galileo every year, producing an unraced 4-year-old named Yulong Dragon and a 2-year-old colt named Russian Emperor in addition to today’s winner.
