Coolmore sent a number of their best mares to Japan to visit champion sire Deep Impact before his passing in 2019 and the exercise has produced Epsom Oaks winner Snowfall, Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior, French Oaks winner Fancy Blue and now the best of them all an Epsom Derby winner in Auguste Rodin.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Auguste Rodin has been bred and trained to win this race since he was conceived, but a below par run when he resumed with an unplaced effort in the Group I Newmarket 2000 Guineas raised doubt.
Last season at two he started four times for three wins and a second culminating in winning the Group I Doncaster Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes, so the Guineas failure came as a shock, however connections regrouped and kept faith in their colt with happy results all round in the Derby.
The Roger Varian trained Wootton Bassett colt King of Steel was having his first run for this year and ran the race of his life. He hit the front and looked the winner until Ryan Moore got to work on Auguste Rodin, who hunted down his rival to win by a half a length with nearly five lengths back to the rest.
“Auguste Rodin is totally unique, he's out of one of the greatest Galileo mares and by the greatest stallion ever in Japan, he's totally unique. I think he’s the most important horse we’ve ever had because he’s bringing the two continents [Europe and Asia] together, and it’s not fake ability, it’s pure ability, so I think it is so exciting,” said Aidan O’Brien.
"He was very special as a two-year-old. His movement was so good; spectacular. He's got an unbelievable, economical way of going, but his movement is incredible. It's very different and we always felt he was the most special horse we've had in Ballydoyle.”
Ryan Moore has ridden Auguste Rodin in five of his six starts and was full of praise.
“He got the trip very well and he was very comfortable throughout the race," said Moore.
"I felt like he was doing it easy. He always felt like he was going beautifully and I think this quicker ground was a big help to him."
The Group I Irish Derby is the likely next assignment for Auguste Rodin, who is the first winner for Galileo’s Champion 2YO Filly and Older Female Miler Filly and triple Group I winner Rhododendron.
A full sister to seven time Group I winner Magical from Group I winning Pivotal mare Halfway to Heaven, this is an exceptional family that has also produced Group I winners Photo Call and Victoria Road, who is by Deep Impact stallion Saxon Warrior.
Auguste Rodin is the 59th Group I winner for Deep Impact and is his third G1 winner among seven stakes-winners bred from daughters of Galileo. The nick has produced 29 winners from 41 runners, so 70% winner to runner and 17% SW to runner.
