Jim Bolger’s 21-year wait for a second Irish Derby win ended in dramatic style at the Curragh on Saturday night when Kevin Manning steered 6-1 shot Trading Leather home, with hot favorite Ruler Of The World well beaten in fifth.
Galileo Rock was second with Festive Cheer third as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Ruler of the World flopped.
Bolger said, “It probably goes down as a career-topping day. It doesn’t really get any better than this.”
Trading Leather is the first horse not trained by Aidan O’Brien to win the Irish Derby since Andre Fabre’s Hurricane Run in 2005.
O’Brien said of Ruler of the World:, “He was a bit warmer than he was at Epsom, but I don’t want to make excuses as the winner did it well. We may give him a break now, he deserves it.”
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