Another Beggy special as lesser-spotted rider bags latest big win in Derrinstown

It has become one of the great oddities in racing that the fewer horses Padraig Beggy rides on a racecourse, the more success he enjoys.

Even the busiest of riders in the weighing room could only dream of cashing the kind of cheques Beggy has throughout the past few seasons and Tuesday was another big day for the Ballydoyle-based rider.

The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial turned into a Beggy special, as it should now be known, as the Epsom and Curragh Derby-winning rider gave his rivals the slip aboard Cormorant in the Group 3 feature.

It was ten years ago when Beggy recorded his best ever tally with 22 winners in the season, amassing just over €55,000 in prize-money in the process, yet the Dunboyne native cleared €53,100 when guiding Cormorant home at Leopardstown, proving quality really does trump quantity.

Beggy employed similar tactics when landing the Irish Derby aboard Sovereign last summer, his solitary win of the season, but a valuable one given the winning purse was €914,420.

Padraig Beggy: was successful in the Derrinstown Derby Trial aboard CormorantCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Tuesday’s Derrinstown win brings Beggy’s Group race tally to five, highlighted by his 2017 Derby victory on Wings Of Eagles, with each win highlighting his important, if not understated role for the Aidan O'Brien stable.

Whether Cormorant will be winning any Derbys remains up for debate even after his all-the-way success, with Ladbrokes more interested in his apparently unlucky stablemate Russian Emperor, who could manage only second, and was introduced at 20-1 for the Epsom Classic.

But Tuesday was all about Cormorant, and once again provided a fleeting insight into the talented arsenal of horsemen as well as horses at O'Brien's yard, with Beggy earning the plaudits.

"Cormorant had plenty of racing last year and I think that played to his strengths today," the rider said, keeping the focus on the horse and off himself after the race.

Beggy added: "He jumped out and he knew his job. We went a good gallop and he kept going well.

"He's an honest horse and it was his first time wearing blinkers. The last furlong, I was just letting him do enough to win. Hopefully he can keep on improving and as the year goes on he might even handle cut in the ground – that will help him.”

Cormorant will go down as career winner number 136 for Beggy, who recorded his first win on a racecourse 17 years ago when successful aboard Red Venus for Seamus Fahey at Naas.

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