Exciting Aidan O'Brien juvenile is new favourite for next year's Derby following 'lovely' performance in Group 2 rout

Benvenuto Cellini is the new favourite for next year's Betfred Derby after a hugely impressive success in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes, a race which both Australia and Auguste Rodin landed for Ballydoyle before going on to Epsom glory in their three-year-old campaign.

The winner of a Killarney maiden after chasing home stablemate Dorset – who runs in Sunday's National Stakes – in a maiden at the Curragh that has been the launchpad for so many of Aidan O'Brien's stars, Benvenuto Cellini's five-length demolition job over Hardy Warrior was the widest-margin success in the race since Australia 12 years ago.

Christophe Soumillon settled the well-backed 1-2 favourite in second, chasing Hardy Warrior before thundering by the eventual second at the two-furlong pole and opening up impressively by five lengths.

The Frankel colt, who is a brother to stablemate Giselle, was available for the Derby at 25-1 prior to this win and is now as short as 8-1 for next year's Classic.

O'Brien was suitably impressed and said: "He looks like he’s going to be a lovely middle-distance horse. Dylan [Browne McMonagle, rider of Hardy Warrior] took them along out into the middle of the track. Christophe had a choice to come right or left rail and it was easier to go to the right rail. He's lovely and we couldn’t be happier. 

"He was always going to be a Derby trial horse. Christophe said he feels like a French Derby horse. 

"He can go again this year, the Futurity or one of the French races, and then start in the Derby trials next year.  

"He’s a close, compact horse but he’s a very good walker, a great galloper. He really levels out on the ground when you ask him to go and that’s usually a good sign.”

Christophe Soumillon and Aidan O'Brien were among the winners at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Earlier on the card, Soumillon had recorded his first victory for O'Brien since taking over from the injured Ryan Moore as first-choice rider for Ballydoyle when €1.7 million buy Diamond Necklace ran away with the Listed Ingabelle Stakes, running out a convincing two-and-a-quarter-length winner over Sukanya.

This was Soumillon's first success for the Ballydoyle team since winning the Prix Jacques le Marois on Diego Velazquez last month. The St Mark's Basilica filly is unbeaten in two starts and was cut to 14-1 for both the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks.

O'Brien said: "She’s a lovely filly and is going to stay further. We’ll have a look at the Fillies' Mile or the Boussac with her.

"There was a good pace on. We knew at the Curragh she was a filly who was going to want every yard of seven. He was very patient on her, it was an even gallop, and I don’t think he even touched her.

 "The Curragh was her first time away from home and she still won. Usually if they do that they can often be a bit different. She’s a filly who cost a lot of money, with a great pedigree, and her work was always very right."

Rahmi lands big pot

Rahmi put on a sensational late spurt to blast past nearly all 15 rivals in the straight and secure a huge pot in the Irish Stallion Farms Sovereign Path Handicap, with 7lb claimer Rory Mulligan seen to excellent effect on the Johnny Murtagh-trained six-year-old.

The 14-1 chance, who was one of four representatives for Murtagh, wasn't even in the camera shot approaching the furlong pole but soon appeared motoring down the outside to collar Glenfinnan and run out an authoritative winner by a length and a quarter.

Rahmi and Rory Mulligan sweep by their rivals to win the big 7f handicapCredit: Patrick McCann

"He had a little bit of a hold-up earlier in the year," said Murtagh. "We ran him at Cork and he was kind of 80 per cent going there and I was very happy how he ran. This has been the plan for a while.

"I said to Rory to take his medicine [from stall 16], cruise around behind them and get a bit of cover as best you can and then in the straight peel him to the outside."

Murtagh doubled up when Alakazi won the Tonybet Solonaway Stakes. Ben Coen kicked the three-year-old into the lead in the final furlong and he held on from the fast-finishing Mutasarref.

Big-race double for Burke

Convergent kicked off a huge double for Karl Burke as he landed a deserved Group 3 success in the CMG Group Stakes before Fallen Angel's heroics in the Matron.

Last seen finishing a short head second in the German Derby, the three-year-old was making his Group breakthrough on his fifth start in the Newtown Anner silks.

Ridden by Clifford Lee, the 3-1 chance disputed third throughout and picked up smartly on the outside in the straight to run out a comfortable length-and-a-half winner over Fleetfoot.

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