Unsung heroes behind Derby triumph

They will also note a first victory for Ireland’s pioneering trainer Dermot Weld and likeable jockey Pat Smullen while the Aga Khan, the owner, was landing the spoils for a fifth time – his first success being with the ill-fated Shergar in 1981.

Yet, while the winning margin of a length-and-a-half can be attributed to Harzand picking up after US Army Ranger challenged late on under Ryan Moore, the margins were much finer.

This, after all, was the horse that was a major doubt after arriving from Ireland with a dislodged racing shoe and blood oozing from a wound to the hoof.

It was only “60-40” that Harzand would take his place in the 16-runner line-up as farriers worked overtime – a member of Irish trainer Jim Bolger’s team provided invaluable assistance – and Smullen was instructed by the Aga Khan to withdraw the horse at the start if he had any doubts about the eventual winner’s soundness.

In this regard, the 237th Derby was a victory for the sport’s unsung heroes – the stable staff, farriers and vets who work tirelessly behind the scenes because of their love of racing and the chance of being involved with a champion of this calibre.

“Travelling over, he unfortunately pulled off a plate and tore it off his foot,” explained a relieved Weld. “That made his foot very sore so there was a lot of old fashioned treatments like the use of hot water for about an hour and then about four hours of ice before he had the shoe tacked back on.

“We trotted him up and down and he trotted up sound. If he didn’t move right he would not have run and then it was Pat Smullen’s call at the start of the race as to whether he would run. He was long odds on against running a number of hours ago.”

Sired by the 2009 Derby hero Sea The Stars, the Irish Derby – and a probable rematch with US Army Ranger who was last turning into the home straight – could be on the cards.

“Providing he comes out of this race and his foot is okay, the Irish Derby is the logical place to go,” said Weld, who has been Ireland’s champion trainer on 21 occasions. “I’ve always believed in him and have entered him in the Arc so that tells you I would not have entered him in that if I did not believe he could win today.

“It is not fair to compare horses over time but my best horse was Grey Swallow, my mother bred him and owned part of him. He won the Irish Derby and he was a very good horse, under-estimated totally. Harzand is a progressive horse.”

At 67, Weld has lost none of his enthusiasm for a sport which saw him become the first European trainer to win one of America’s Triple Crown races when Go And Go won the 1990 Belmont Stakes. He is revered in Australia where his Vintage Crop became the first European winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1993.

He is also fortunate to have been able to call upon the services of the under-estimated Smullen for the past 15 years, even though the rider thought Harzand might be more of a St Leger horse.

As for the race, Aidan O’Brien’s US Army Ranger was left with too much to do while the Ballydoyle trainer’s Idaho ran a blinder to finish third and provide Ireland with a clean sweep in Britain’s most celebrated Flat race.

John Gosden’s Wings Of Desire, a winner of York’s Dante Stakes, was fourth under Frankie Dettori, with the trainer left to rue the tacky ground.

Paul Hanagan’s 2000 Guineas runner-up Maassat was in prime position around Tattenham Corner before his stamina ran out – the horse was ninth – while Biodynamic was 13th for North Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke and jockey Dougie Costello.

Yet, while doubts surrounded the quality of the Derby field before the race, Harzand has the stamp of a true champion.

As the aforementioned Smullen remarked: “It was great credit to the boss to run him. The horse’s welfare comes first and it always has done with Dermot.

“If the horse was not sound he would not have run but to have amazing owners like the Aga Khan, who said to me in the paddock ‘If you are not happy with the horse, pull him out’.

“However, when I got to the gates, I was very happy with the way the horse was moving. He was moving as good as normal and you would not have known that there had been anything wrong with him and as they say the rest is history but it makes a good story.”