Saturday's landmark 150th Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby saw John Gosden's notable achievement in preparing Jack Hobbs to win Ireland's premier classic just three weeks after the English trainer greeted Golden Horn in the Epsom Derby winner's enclosure.
A total of 17 horses have famously completed the Epsom-Curragh Derby double but Gosden broke modern ground in winning the two historic classics with different horses.
It brought a vintage June to a perfect conclusion for the Newmarket trainer who enjoyed an Epsom 1-2 with Golden Horn and Jack Hobbs and also picked up a French Oaks victory courtesy of Star Of Seville.
This Saturday Golden Horn will put his unbeaten record on the line against older horses in Sandown’s Eclipse but Gosden is thinking more long-term for the 150th Irish Derby winner with Jack Hobbs set for a break before warming up for the Arc in September’s Prix Niel.
"He needs a holiday now, this boy," Gosden said after William Buick guided home the first British-trained winner of the Irish Derby in 22 years, ahead of his compatriot Storm The Stars. "He's big, rangy, quite light-framed and needs to fill out."
Dates are also focussing minds at the Curragh – but for 2016 – with the track authorities keeping their fingers crossed next year’s Irish Derby, worth an increased €1.5 million, could be run on the first Saturday in July rather than the last Saturday in June.
That would leave a potential four-week gap between Epsom and the Curragh which could help with the composition of a classic which had to deal with widespread concerns about a lack of competition during an unprecedented run of success for Aidan O’Brien.
A ‘win and you’re in’ initiative this year appeared to yield significant results with the Oaks winner Qualify taking her chance in Saturday’s race which took place in front of a 25,255 crowd which was up almost two thousand on the attendance which saw Australia score in 2014.
The qualifier initiative, which applied to the first five horses home on Saturday, is likely to continue next year and the Curragh manager Paul Hensey is hopeful next year's calendar could work in the Irish Derby's favour.
“2016 is interesting because races look like they might be run on dates as early as they’ve ever been. For instance if Epsom is run on its traditional first Saturday in June date, and if things fell that we were able to run our race on the first Saturday in July, that would give us four weeks between races which would be a help to us.
“It would certainly give more time to allow horses run in both races and it might also give horses that run in say the King Edward VII or the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot a chance to come to the Irish Derby.
“It all has to be worked out by the European Pattern Committee, which has to fit in everything, and we have to talk to sponsors and the commercial side too.
“It would also have to be figured out if moving to a July date might result in a clash with the Eclipse at Sandown. But from my point of view, it would be something we would be in favour of,” Hensey said.
Jack Hobbs was an odds-on winner but there were no competition issues about the weekend highlight which saw the Godolphin boss, Sheikh Mohammed, secure a first Irish Derby victory in 20 years and win in the Curragh backyard of his great rivals at Coolmore Stud.
“For Sheikh Mohammed and all the (Godolphin) team, it means everything to us,” said Buick.
