Adayar, Godolphin's third string, ran out an easy winner of the Cazoo Derby under Adam Kirby, who replaced Oisin Murphy aboard Charlie Appleby's colt.
The jockey was initially booked to partner John Leeper for Ed Dunlop but when Ballydoyle no longer required Frankie Dettori's services, Dettori stepped in for that ride.
Kirby then replaced the champion jockey aboard Adayar as he rides regular work for the stable and he enjoyed an armchair ride.
The first winner from stall one since Oath in 1999, the son of Frankel travelled powerfully by the far rail and the race was over when he went clear two out.
Powering to the line, the 16/1 chance was a four-and-a-half lengths winner over Mojo Star (50/1) who ran a huge race in second with Hurricane Lane (6/1), a stablemate of the winner, third.
Favourite Bolshoi Ballet was in third turning for home but weakened tamely down the home straight.
16:30 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 1 Adayar (IRE) 16/1
2 8 Mojo Star (IRE) 50/1
3 4 Hurricane Lane (IRE) 6/1
Winning Trainer: C Appleby. Winning Jockey: A Kirby
Reaction to Adayar's Derby win
Kirby was struggling to comprehend his achievement following the race. He said: “There’s been ups and downs, it’s racing, but when it comes to Charlie Appleby, he’s a top man. I can’t thank him enough. He’s a real gentleman and a great trainer. It’s quite unbelievable really – I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.
“It’s a Derby. He ran well in the Lingfield Derby Trial and that was obviously good form – we can all be wiser after the event. I got in (on the rail) and luckily the horse was brave enough to go through with it – he galloped up to the line and out through it. It’s a marvellous day. I hope my mother was watching.”
Appleby admitted he had his doubts about Adayar tackling the Derby, but Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed was keen to let the colt have his Classic chance.
The trainer said: “I’m delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin, being a home-bred as well and Frankel having his first Derby winner. I’m delighted for Adam. He knows him as well as anyone as he broke all three of the runners in.
“To win the way he has done, he’s stamped his authority there among the three-year-old middle-distance horses. We’ll just take a breath, let the dust settle and regroup. It will be interesting to see what the boys say about the other pair (Hurricane Run and One Ruler, who was sixth) as well.
“I had a conversation with His Highness on Wednesday and I sort of put it up there that Adayar would be more of a staying horse and, thankfully, he put me straight back where I should be and said ‘no Charlie, there’s only one Derby and you need to stay in the Derby’.”
Why didn't Oisin Murphy ride Adayar?
Oisin Murphy had been asked to partner Adayar, but given Appleby’s long-standing relationship with Kirby, he changed the riding plans.
Appleby said: “Adam is a huge part of the team, he’s been with us since I started and does a lot on the racing side, breaks some of our horses in. I have to say Oisin was very professional when he took the news.
“Once Adam was available, I was always going to offer the ride to him, and Oisin said ‘I know what you’re going to say and I understand’, so a big thanks to him for being a true sportsman.”
Timeform Cazoo Derby analysis
The supreme test of a middle-distance three-year-old proved too much for rather too many of the field for the latest running of the Derby to take too high a view of the form. Although the first three weren't quite so improbable as last year's placed runners, there was still a maiden, albeit a promising, twice-raced one, in the runner-up's spot, and the winner was not the first and possibly not the second string of his stable's three runners.
And yet, Adayar could be the horse the Derby needs after a few too many recent winners for whom the Derby proved the high point of their career rather than the launch pad for a summer of middle-distance dominance. Adayar had shaped with considerable promise in the Classic Trial at Sandown on his return and here fully blossomed, faced with a test that requires both speed and stamina.
He and the favourite Bolshoi Ballet were ideally positioned the way the race was run, poised behind the leaders, and both looked to be going well into the straight, but the favourite found little, whereas Adayar powered away from his field.
Bolshoi Ballet had got very warm beforehand and this clearly wasn't his running, while Mac Swiney and One Ruler didn't appear to stay; John Leeper, another to get warm, ran a flat race too. With the ground having dried out remarkably well from the day before, Third Realm wasn't in the same form as when he beat the winner at Lingfield. (David Cleary)
Bookmaker reaction
Sky Bet make the winner 10/1 from 50s for the Arc at ParisLongchamp while Betfair and Paddy Power are 7/2 for the St Leger and 8/1 for the October showpiece.
Michael Shinners, Sky Bet Head of Sports PR said: "The Godolphin third string winning the Cazoo Derby was always likely to be a good result for bookmakers. In paying extra places on the race we tend to lay the bigger priced horses.
"The Richard Hannon trained Mojo Star finishing second was very popular with Sky Bet customers, as was Hurricane Lane to a much lesser degree. Overall, the Derby winner was once again hard to find and therefore a good result for the layers. We make the winner a 10/1 chance for the Arc now."
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “The winner didn’t go unsupported each-way at fancy prices, but despite that and Mac Swiney finishing fourth not being ideal with our extra place, it was still a good result for us.”