Jack Hobbs dominates Irish Derby

Jack Hobbs, second in the English Derby on June 6, was the dominant winner of Saturday’s $1,288,000 Irish Derby at The Curragh, giving trainer John Gosden a third classic win of the month.

On June 6, Gosden won the $2.2 million English Derby at Epsom Downs with Golden Horn. On June 14, Gosden won the $1.1 million French Oaks at Chantilly Racecourse with Star of Seville.

Jack Hobbs was the 10-11 favorite in the Group 1 Irish Derby and won by five lengths over Storm the Stars, a 10-1 shot. Ridden by William Buick, Jack Hobbs was always near the front in the field of eight. He was second with three furlongs remaining and took the lead in the final quarter-mile.

Storm the Starts finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of the 8-1 Giovanni Canaletto, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien. O’Brien also finished fourth through sixth with Kilimanjaro, Highland Reel, and Qualify, the winner of the English Oaks on June 5.

Jack Hobbs has won three of five starts, with both losses to Golden Horn. Jack Hobbs finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Golden Horn in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York, England, on May 14. The Irish Derby was the first stakes win for Jack Hobbs, a colt by Halling who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing and a partnership that includes Gosden’s wife, Rachel Hood.

Gosden said after the Irish Derby that Jack Hobbs will be pointed for two stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris later this year – the Group 2 Prix Niel for 3-year-olds on Sept. 13 and the $5.6 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4.

Jack Hobbs was the recipient of support in the Arc de Triomphe future book after the Irish Derby. He was listed as a 10-1 shot on Saturday with the British bookmakers Coral behind Treve, the winner of the race in 2013 and 2014 who is the 5-2 favorite. Golden Horn is a 5-1 shot for the Arc.