Benvenuto Cellini leads O'Brien 1-2-3 sweep in Irish Derby
There was no controversy surrounding Benvenuto Cellini’s win in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh, only an attractive win by 1 3/4 lengths to lead a sweep of the trifecta by runners trained by Aidan O’Brien.
At Epsom Downs in Britain on June 6, Benvenuto Cellini was the 3-1 favorite to win the Group 1 English Derby, but was declared a non-runner after it was discovered he had a rear leg caught on a ledge in the starting gate when the gates opened.
Benvenuto Cellini finished 10th of 14, beaten 28 1/2 lengths by stablemate Christmas Day.
In the $1.42 million Irish Derby at 1 1/2 miles, Benvenuto Cellini, who was favored and paid $4 in American pools, outfinished 4-1 Christmas Day. O’Brien’s Pierre Bonnard (10-1) finished third, beaten two lengths.
The previously unbeaten Raaheeb finished fourth in his third start, failing to pose a threat in the stretch. Raaheeb is trained in Britain by Owen Burrows.
The first two finishers are owned by the partnership of George Brant, the Coolmore syndicate and Georg Von Opel.
O’Brien and the Coolmore group won the Irish Derby for a record 18th time on Sunday.
O’Brien told the press after Sunday’s race that Benvenuto Cellini is a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
Ridden by Ryan Moore in the Irish Derby, Benvenuto Cellini raced on the inside at the back of the field of eight for the first three furlongs before moving into sixth-place after a half-mile.
Moore moved Benvenuto Cellini off the inside midway through the race and advanced to fifth with six furlongs remaining, chasing the O’Brien-trained pacesetter Action.
Christmas Day took the lead from Action with three furlongs remaining and stayed in front until Moore urged Benvenuto Cellini to the lead with a quarter-mile remaining.
“He's still a bit babyish, but he continues to learn and he traveled into the race beautifully,” Moore said in a televised interview. “I produced him sooner than I ideally liked, but I didn't want to break his rhythm. He's a beautiful mover and it will be interesting what the future holds for him.”
Moore has won the last four runnings of the Irish Derby, all for O’Brien.
Benvenuto Cellini completed a sweep of the three leading derbys in Western Europe for O’Brien for the second consecutive year. O’Brien won the Group 1 French Derby with Constitution River on May 31.
In 2025, O’Brien won the English and Irish derbys with Lambourn, and the French Derby with Camille Pissarro.
Sunday’s race was the first time that O’Brien swept the first three positions in the Irish Derby since Auguste Rodin, Adelaide River, Covent Garden and Peking Opera finished first through fourth in 2023.
The Irish Derby was Benvenuto Cellini’s second official start of the year. He won the Group 3 Chester Vase at 1 9/16 miles at Chester Racecourse in Britain on May 6.
Benvenuto Cellini, a winner of 4 of 6 starts, is by Frankel and out of Newspaperofrecord, a two-time Grade 1 winner in the United States for Seth Klarman and trainer Chad Brown in 2019 and 2020.
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