World lowest rated Derby winner this Century

6/05/13 - The fact that his recent Investec Derby winner Ruler Of the World has been handed the lowest official rating for a winner of the blue riband contest this century will not bother Aidan O’Brien in the slightest.

The Ballydoyle handler will, of course, be keen to get more top level victories out of the son of Galileo and prove handicapper Phil Smith’s rating of 120 to be at the very baseline of the three-year-old’s ability span.

There was no more that Ruler Of The World could do than win the classic race in good fashion, staying on strongly from the two furlong from home marker to power clear inside the distance to score by a length-and-a-half from the fast finishing Libertarian (allotted 117), and Galileo Rock, to win with something in hand.

Expected by many horse racing betting pundits to go next for the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 29, the three-year-old is also seen as a likely candidate for the final classic of the season, the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster in September.

He may clash horns with Libertarian once again in that race, the northern colt being expected to take his chance at the Curragh in a re-match with his Epsom conqueror.

With hot favourite, Dawn Approach, having run such a dismal race at Epsom, some of the gloss has obviously been taken off the victory of the winner. However, as so often happens in racing, time might vindicate the performance of the victor, especially in the eyes of fans placing a horse racing bet.