All class - Wayne Lordan's Derby triumph was a poignant highlight on an awesome day for the Rebel County

Is the latest Derby success for the Coolmore-Aidan O'Brien axis another damning illustration of how the domination of a few is deterring the masses?

It's a topic that has been explored ad nauseam in this column over the years, although more so in relation to the jumps scene. The Classics have long been the preserve of a fairly exclusive coterie, a reality that has been categorically reinforced this year, and the Derby again demonstrated as much ahead of the event with the traditional powerhouses so well represented. 

As is often the case nowadays, though, it eventually turned on the most influential of them all thanks to Lambourn's emphatic display. An 11th Derby for the current master of Ballydoyle and a third successive victory for him in the sport's premier Classic. When Australia completed a hat-trick for O'Brien in 2014, it was the first time anyone had achieved that illustrious feat. On Saturday, Australia's son emulated that distinction. In nearly 250 years of the sport's definitive three-year-olds' Group 1, no other trainer has managed it once, but O'Brien has done it twice. The man is simply incredible.