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The fate of Derby winners after triumphing at Epsom

Mick Kinane is led in on Sea The Stars after Derby victory
Mick Kinane is led in on Sea The Stars after Derby victoryCredit: Mark Cranham

Following the retirement of Masar after his unsuccessful attempt to return from injury with a bang this season, we take a look at how the last ten Derby winners fared after winning the greatest Flat race of them all.

Sea The Stars(2009)

Epsom was just the second stepping stone for Sea The Stars in a three-year-old season that ended with many believing racing may have just seen one of the finest horses to have graced the track.

The Derby would be the last time the John Oxx-trained son of Cape Cross would start any race at odds against and he would more than justify that continued market confidence, winning the Coral-Eclipse, International Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes before romping home in the Arc at Longchamp.

The now 13-year-old has proved successful as a sire – Crystal Ocean and Taghrooda his notable progeny – and now stands at the Aga Khan's Gilltown stud in Ireland for €135,000.

Workforce(2010)

A Derby winner on only his third start, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Workforce retired at the end of his four-year-old season having won four of his nine races, earning over £3 million in prize-money.

Incredibly, he may be most famed for his hammering defeat at the hands of stablemate Harbinger when the 8-11 favourite in the King George at Ascot on his next start after Epsom.

Workforce: romped home in the Derby in 2010
Workforce: romped home in the Derby in 2010Credit: Edward Whitaker

Khalid Abdullah's colt returned to form to win the Arc on his next start before going on to produce a series of excellent performances as a four-year-old, finishing second in both the Coral-Eclipse and the King George. He now stands as a stallion at Knockhouse Stud in Ireland.

Pour Moi(2011)

Trained by Andre Fabre, Pour Moi's Derby success when just getting the better of Treasure Beach by a head proved to be the untimely final chapter in a career that promised so much.

An injury when making his final preparations for the Arc led to Coolmore opting to retire the Classic winner to stud, and in so doing made him the first Derby winner since Secreto in 1984 never to run again.

Pour Moi - Mickael Barzalona wins from Treasure Beach - Colm O'Donoghue and Carlton House Ryan MooreThe Investec DerbyEpsom Derby Meeting4/6/2011.Pic Mark Cranham
Pour Moi: won the Derby by a narrow marginCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

However, his association with Epsom continued as a sire when his son Wings Of Eagles won the Derby in 2017.

Camelot(2012)

Described by those at Ballydoyle as one of the best they have ever had, Camelot arrived at Epsom as a red-hot 8-13 shot and duly proved his supporters correct.

His five-length success laid the foundations for another Derby victory, this time at the Curragh, and a shot at becoming the first horse since Nijinsky in 1970 to win the coveted Triple Crown.

Camelot (purple cap) storms to a five-length success in the 2012 Derby
Camelot (purple cap) storms to a five-length success in the 2012 DerbyCredit: Edward Whitaker

His St Leger defeat by Encke went down as one of the biggest shocks in recent history and signified the start of a decline that saw the son of Montjeu win just once more in four races.

Retired after his third start at four, Camelot now stands at Coolmore stud for €40,000.

Ruler Of The World(2013)

Unraced at two, Ruler Of The World made the step up to Group 1 level look simple on only his third start when powering clear at Epsom to win by a length and a half under Ryan Moore.

However, his Derby exertions appeared to leave an indelible effect with a subsequent formline reading 52730 before he returned to winner's enclosure in the Prix Foy at Longchamp on his second start as a four-year-old. Disappointing displays in the Arc and the Champions Stakes brought his 11-race career to a close.

Majestic Moore: the rider gains a second Epsom Derby success aboard Ruler Of The World in 2013
Majestic Moore: the rider gains a second Epsom Derby success aboard Ruler Of The World in 2013Credit: Edward Whitaker

A moderate success as a sire, he now stands at Coolmore for €4,000 and saddled his first Group 1 winner when Iridessa landed the Fillies' Mile and Pretty Polly.

Australia(2014)

A regally-bred son Galileo and Ouija Board, Australia rebounded from a narrow defeat in the 2,000 Guineas to produce a dominant performance to win the Derby.

Success in the Irish equivalent and the International Stakes followed, before the striking chestnut failed to justify pre-race odds of 30-100 when going down to The Grey Gatsby by a neck in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Australia (centre) wins the 2014 Epsom Derby under Joseph O'Brien
Australia (centre) wins the 2014 Epsom Derby under Joseph O'BrienCredit: Charlie Crowhurst

Success at stud has followed his success on the track and his gradually increasing stud fee – currently €35,000 – speaks to the quality of his promising progeny, that includes the likes of Broome and Western Australia.

Golden Horn (2015)

While Enable is without question the finest filly John Gosden has trained, Golden Horn is surely the best colt.

Anthony Oppenheimer's colt took the 2015 Flat season by storm, winning the Derby in dominant fashion by three and a half lengths from Jack Hobbs before following up in the Eclipse.

Jack Hobbs chases home stablemate Golden Horn in the 2015 Derby
Jack Hobbs chases home stablemate Golden Horn in the 2015 DerbyCredit: Mark Cranham

His shocking defeat at 4-9 by Arabian Queen in the International Stakes proved nothing more than a blip, as the son of Cape Cross went on the win both the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc, before finishing a narrow runner-up to Found in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Having had only nine juvenile runners as a sire, his proficiency is yet to be proved. That said, his fee of £50,000 exemplifies the confidence those at Darley have in him.

(2016)

Some 16 years removed from Sinndar's Derby victory, the Dermot Weld-trained Harzand gave the Aga Khan a fifth winner in the Classic and followed in the footsteps of his father Sea The Stars when beating 7-2 favourite US Army Ranger by a length and a half.

Pat Smullen punches the air as Harzand passes the post to win the 2016 Investec Derby
Pat Smullen punches the air as Harzand passes the post to win the 2016 Investec DerbyCredit: Edward Whitaker

A narrow Irish Derby win followed before two heavy defeats in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc, which pointed to the 2016 Classic generation in Britain and Ireland being less than vintage.

A €10,000 fee is attached and his first yearlings will arrive at stables in 2019.

Wings Of Eagles(2017)

A shock would be an understatement. Punters could get a price of 40-1 about Wings Of Eagles before the 2016 Derby. Nonetheless, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt swooped late to claim his Classic prize.


Watch Wings Of Eagles shock win at Epsom


Defeated at the Curragh on his next start, when third to stablemate Capri in the Irish Derby, the son of Pour Moi suffered a leg injury after the race and, like his father, was sent straight to stud.

He stands at Beeches Stud for €6,500 and his first foals arrived in the spring.

Masar(2018)

Only successful twice from five starts at two and beaten by 41 lengths on his reappearance as a three-year-old, Masar didn't boast the glamorous form lines of a future Derby winner.

However, he showed signs that he was a star performer when scoring in the Craven, before finishing a close-up third in the 2,000 Guineas.

Masar: beat Dee Ex Bee in the 2018 Derby
Masar: beat Dee Ex Bee in the 2018 DerbyCredit: Mark Cranham

Derby success followed, beating Dee Ex Bee by a length and a half. He wasn't seen for a year after that due to injuries, and only beat three rivals in two subsequent starts before being retired.


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Tom WardRacing Post Reporter

Published on 16 July 2019inNews

Last updated 16:20, 17 July 2019

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