Auguste Rodin wins Epsom Derby | report, reaction and free video replay

O'Brien's faith in Auguste Rodin has never faltered, even following the Deep Impact's hugely disappointing return to action in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

When the pace settled down after the early jostling for positions, the winner's stablemates Adelaide River and San Antonio had a share of the lead with Dubai Mile, Passenger, Arrrest and Military Order just behind.

Ryan Moore had Auguste Rodin a little further back in the pack but he was tracking market rival Military Order throughout and always had him in his sights. Moore asked Auguste Rodin to improve his position going into Tattenham Corner and had plenty of daylight in which to make his challenge.

That wasn't the case on his inside with Sprewell finding trouble and running around on the cambers - but he still finished well to take fourth - although the twice-raced maiden winner King Of Steel got a beautiful split to burst away from those racing around him.

King Of Steel quickly opened up a gap on the inside but he was never clear of Auguste Rodin who ground the leader down to win impressively and go a long way to justifying his tall reputation.

The winning margin was half a length.

White Birch came from way off the pace to finish third, a further four and three quarter lengths behind, with Dante Stakes winner The Foxes running creditably in fifth.

Speaking to ITV Racing, Moore, who was winning the Derby for a third time, said: "We had a smooth run, landed in a nice spot, I had William and Frankie ahead of me and I was always confident I had them covered. We didn't go that quick, turned into a bit of a dash but we had a nice smooth run.

"(Aidan O’Brien) is the only man that could do it. I’ve seen him get horses back after they’ve run badly in the Guineas and then win big races. This horse has a great pedigree and he’s always shown he’s a good horse. As Aidan always says, everyone does such a great job at home. Everything went smooth today.

“We’ve always had a lot of belief in him. I don’t know if the Leger will be the plan but he’s a class horse and hopefully we get a triple crown horse one day.”

Continuing on Racing TV he added: "We got there going easy, he was still a little bit immature when he got to the front but when I asked him, he responded bravely. He's done that quite cosy I think. He's got a beautiful action, a lovely moving horse, and we always thought he wanted nice ground. Aidan always had a lot of belief in the horse. He's got huge potential.

"I thought I had the race won as soon as I crossed the road. I was a bit worried about getting in front as I was going too well and then the second horse kicked and my horse just shut down a little bit when I asked him but when he had to go and win his race, he found plenty. He got the trip very well but he was very comfortable throughout the race, he was doing it easy.

"This horse gives me a similar feel to Workforce in the way he went through the race and he was always comfortable."

O’Brien said: “We’ve always said he is the most special horse we’ve had in Ballydoyle, that’s what we always felt.

"He came with a massive reputation as a beautiful horse but he kept stepping up to all the markers the whole way, which is very unusual. He’s totally unique, he’s out of one of the greatest Galileo mares and by the greatest stallion ever in Japan, he’s totally unique.

“Ryan said it probably didn’t suit him and he’d prefer a lot stronger pace but he said he had to quicken twice. He’s so exciting for us and I feel so grateful. I’m so delighted for his owners, it’s a great pleasure for us to have anything to do with him.

“It was one of those days (at Newmarket) and a few days before it all started to go wrong. We all know it’s a funny game and it all goes round and everyone gets their day, but you control the things you can control. You can’t stop the things you can’t control, from having him booked to fly a couple of days before it all started to go wrong really and everything just fell against him.

“The lads had the plan he’d do the three (Classic) races and we knew the first one would be the toughest as everything would have to fall right for him. Everything just went wrong but he came out the race great, every day we were riding him up he was getting better and more confident and Ryan gave him an incredible ride. He was so cool, he knew the pressure was on so he gave him such a peach of a ride.

“I suppose in February when Ryan rode him in work, he said he was something very special as a two year old. You could imagine what he was like then, his movement was so spectacular and sometimes the horses lose that movement, but he’s never changed the whole way. His movement is just incredible.

“I’m not sure where we’ll go but if we have a horse who we think is good enough we’ll have a look at the Irish Derby. The lads make all those decisions, we’ll see how he is and we’ll tell the lads. They’ll talk between themselves, then they’ll talk to Ryan and they’ll make a decision. I don’t think he had too tough a race as it wasn’t too strong a race and Ryan said he had to quicken twice on him because he got there going too easy and then he had to go again.

“All those options are open to him, the good thing about it is the pace was slow and he was still able to come from where he was. That was Ryan, he just let him find his own rhythm and let him do as he wanted.

“I think this is the most important horse (for Coolmore) ever, because he’s out of Rhodedendron, who is one of the best, if not the best, Galileo mares, and he’s by probably the best Japanese stallion ever, and we know what is after happening with the Japanese breeding, and we know about our own breeding, and he’s after connecting the two of them together. This horse has everything - he has temperament, he has movement, he is everything, he has a personality - I think he’s the most important horse we’ve ever had because he’s bringing the two continents together, and it’s not fake ability, it’s pure ability, so I think it is so exciting.

“Myself and Ryan were looking at Sunday Silence and he’s the very same (as Auguste Rodin) and he’s like his Dad, he likes taking his time and he likes to come at horses because he’s got a lot of speed, but he will be better when the pace is faster. It’s hard to believe, when you look at him and you look at Sunday Silence - he’s the very same. We were looking at it the other night and it was hard to believe that we weren’t looking at August Rodin - the movement, everything, the way he carries himself, and the quickening; incredible, really. And Rhodedendron - how special was she? We brought her here to the Oaks and there was us thinking she couldn’t get beat, and Enable beat her, so… A lot of rain came that day and could you believe she would run into Enable? So it is incredible really.

“Obviously he will have the Curragh option next, but the lads make those decisions. We tell them in 7-10 days how they are, and they talk between themselves, and then they decide what they want to do. But he came out of Newmarket very well and if he comes out of today as well, it should be that a plan is set, but we’ll give him a few days. The Curragh would be an obvious choice for him, but we will see how the horse is and what the lads want to do.

“I’d say he’d have international options, yes - this horse is going to love travelling and he’s a pure mile and a quarter, mile and a half horse. The Guineas would have been fine if everything had gone right for him but - and it might be a blessing in disguise, because if he did, we’d be waiting on the Leger and he’s free of all that now, free of all the shackles, so the lads can do whatever they want for him."

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