Surprise Irish Derby win for Sovereign

Horse Racing
Surprise Irish Derby win for Sovereign

Sovereign produced an impressive run as he was the surprise winner for Aidan O’Brien in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

The son of Galileo was running at odds of 33/1 and was handed the role of pacemaker to give O’Brien’s other four entrants the foundations to launch a surge for the winning line.

However, after going in front alongside stablemate Norway, Sovereign never looked back and was comfortably guided over the line by jockey Padraig Beggy.

O’Brien’s main hope, Anthony van Dyck, who was looking to add the Irish Classic to his win at the Epsom Derby four weeks ago, and came through to claim second ahead of Norway, but was still six lengths behind Sovereign.

Speaking afterwards, a jubilant Beggy said: ‘I’m over the moon.

This one would be more important to me than the Epsom equivalent.

This was the race I grew up wanting to win, it was my main ambition, and I’m just very, very lucky.

It’s down to a big group of people, but mainly Aidan O’Brien for putting me on.

‘I just got into a lovely, comfortable rhythm and let him roll along at that pace.

He’s just a big galloper, I got into a good rhythm and he kept going.

I did think something would come to me, but when I looked at the big screen and knew I was clear, I just thought keep him going.’

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