Once the Ballydoyle runners asserted themselves in the Irish Derby the others were stuck in a tactical jail

A tricky puzzle for any racing fan with a spare five minutes is to watch a replay of Sunday's Irish Derby and consider what would have been the best way to ride the race if they were on any of the British-based horses who finished second, third and fourth. 

It was a race that unfolded very nicely indeed for the winner, Los Angeles, who had the company of three stablemates at the front end for the first mile or so.

Ryan Moore had Los Angeles hard against the inside rail from an early stage. Anyone who wanted to keep him company was out of luck because another Aidan O'Brien-trained runner, The Euphrates, was alongside him for most of the way.