Masar was third at Newmarket last month

Masar denied odds-on favourite Saxon Warrior to win the Derby at Epsom and give trainer Charlie Appleby his first classic.

Aidan O'Brien had five runners in a field of 12 and was seeking a record-equalling seventh Derby.

But Saxon Warrior could only finish fourth as 16-1 shot Masar, ridden by William Buick, claimed a first Derby triumph for the Godolphin stable.

Dee Ex Bee (20-1) was second, with 6-1 shot Roaring Lion third.

2018 British classic winners 2,000 Guineas, Newmarket: Saxon Warrior 1,000 Guineas, Newmarket: Billesdon Brook Oaks, Epsom: Forever Together Derby, Epsom: Masar St Leger, Doncaster: 15 September

O'Brien claimed his second classic of the season on Friday when son Donnacha rode Forever Together to a four-and-a-half length victory in the Oaks.

Had he made it five wins out of five, unbeaten 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior was expected to attempt the Triple Crown - last achieved by Nijinsky in 1970 - by competing in September's St Leger.

But O'Brien's hopes of an Epsom double were thwarted as jockey Ryan Moore could find no way through a congested field in the one mile four furlongs showpiece.

Masar, third behind Saxon Warrior and Tip Two Win in the 2,000 Guineas last month, surged to victory by one and a half lengths in the Surrey sunshine.

Appleby, runner-up with Wild Illusion in the Oaks, said: "It's not sunk in yet. It still feels a dream.

"I'm delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed - firstly for giving me the position to be here. I've always said when I started this job I wanted to be the first person to have a Derby winner in Godolphin blue."

Buick, twice a winner of the St Leger, said: "I've come close a couple of times. I've had seven or eight rides and I was wondering if my time was ever going to come.

"He stayed the trip; he travelled beautifully. The Guineas didn't happen for him, but he's a very good horse and the team believed in him.

"Since I wanted to be a jockey this was the day I was dreaming of."

Donnacha O'Brien, who also won the 2,000 Guineas, was ninth on Kew Gardens.

Analysis

BBC horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght

It is not often that you see Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, perform a little jig, in public anyway, but a first Derby success for his global Godolphin operation - his 'baby' - in the world's best-known race was a long-held ambition and cause for demonstrative celebration.

The Sheikh has poured millions into racing through Godolphin but after initially ruling the roost as racing's undisputed superpower it then found the Coolmore empire coming up on the inside and going by.

The drugs scandal at the stable in 2013 was a body blow too, and Masar represented a first success in a major European Classic for three years; the quality was such however that another may not be too far off.</s>Charlie Appleby's 16-1 Masar denied odds-on favourite Saxon Warrior to win the Derby at Epsom.

Aidan O'Brien had five runners in the field of 12 and was seeking a record-equalling seventh Derby with unbeaten 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior.

But the favourite was boxed in and could only finish fourth as Appleby claimed his first classic and a first Derby triumph for the Godolphin stable.

Dee Ex Bee (20-1) was second, with 6-1 shot Roaring Lion third.</s>The 239th Epsom Derby is upon us.

And Aidan O’Brien expects Ryan Moore to adopt patient tactics on red-hot Investec Derby favourite Saxon Warrior after he was handed stall one in the Epsom Classic.

No horse since Sir Henry Cecil’s Oath in 1999 has defied the inside stall, and the statistics in handicaps over the Derby distance of a mile and a half do not make pretty reading for favourite-backers.

The unbeaten Saxon Warrior oozed brilliance in winning the 2000 Guineas to spark dreams of winning the Triple Crown by claiming the Derby and the St Leger at Doncaster.

“He’s in good form and everything has gone well since the Guineas. We’ve been happy with him since then,” said O'Brien, who saw Forever Together hand him victory in Friday's feature race, the Investec Oaks.

When is the race?

The 2018 Epsom Derby takes place on Saturday June 2, from Epsom Racecourse, in Surrey. It's the climax of two days racing at Epsom with Ladies Day being held on Friday June 1.

What time will it start?

The race will be live at 4.30pm this Saturday.

Where can I watch it?

The race will be shown live on ITV.

The full Epsom card will also be broadcast on Racing UK.

Racing UK is on Sky channel 426, Virgin channel 536, and UPC in Ireland on channel 411.

You can also follow Mirror Sport's live blog.

Who is the favourite?

Saxon Warrior, the Aidan O'Brian-trained horse, is the undisputed favourite as he continues his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner in 48 years (Nijinsky, 1970).

Having already won the 2000 Guineas, this is the second leg of his attempt to go down in history, and after four successive victories - and with him being the only winner of a Group One in the field - he is a big favourite.

Who else is tipped?

Young Rascal doesn't lack stamina and finished strongly to win the Chester Vase last month.

Roaring Lion pushed Saxon Warrior close at Doncaster in October and might fancy another go at it here.

Hazapour is expected to continue improving, and with Frankie Dettori to guide him, is a contender at 9/1.

Newsboy's Epsom Derby tips - for all the day's races</s>When it comes to horse racing , everyone knows the ladies have their dresses but the men have the top hat and tails.

The gentlemen of Epsom Derby 2018 certainly looked the part shortly before Masar gave Godolphin their first win in the Derby.

While the ladies won the show during Ladies' Day on Friday (June 1) it was the men who stole it on the final day of the 2018 Epsom Derby Festival.

Godolphin finally got their win in the 239th Derby when Masar beat favourite Saxon Warrior - who failed to secure a top three finish.

The 16/1 horse topped the race with DEE EX BEE and Roaring Lion finishing second and third respectively.

The win meant trainer Aidan O'Brien was unable to win his second successive Derby with favourite Saxon Warrior after last year's shock win with Wings of Eagles (40/1).

The Irish trainer had Kew Gardens, The Pentagon, Zabriskie and Delano Roosevelt all competing in Britain's richest race.

The prize money of £1.5million will be shared out with the winner getting more than £1million.</s>It took almost quarter of a century but Sheikh Mohammed’s dream of winning the Investec Epsom Derby in the blue colours of his Godolphin operation came through on Saturday with Masar.

The 16-1 winner provided jockey William Buick and trainer Charlie Appleby with a first Derby success after beating Dee Ex Bee (20-1) by a length and a half with the 6-1 shot Roaring Lion in third.

Aidan O’Brien’s Saxon Warrior started a heavily backed 4-5 favourite but could only finish a bitterly disappointing fourth after repeatedly encountering trouble in running up the straight.

If it hardly represented Ryan Moore’s finest hour in the saddle there was also no escaping how the big Irish hope never looked like launching a meaningful challenge once in the clear.

Saxon Warrior’s defeat means Coolmore’s own dream of landing the Triple Crown with an unbeaten colt lauded as potentially the best prospect ever through O’Brien’s hands was dashed.

And the significance of victory going instead to Coolmore’s traditional superpower rivals in Godolphin was lost on no one at Epsom.

Masar was third to Saxon Warrior in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket but an emphatic form reversal in the race that matters most of all has potential implications that will go far beyond Epsom.

Dormant for so long, and forced to play second fiddle to their great Irish based competition, this success may come to be regarded as the sweetest of all for Sheikh Mohammed.

Certainly any presumption of a coronation for Saxon Warrior was blown away as Masar carried the Godolphin blue to victory over Dee Ex Bee who is owned by the Sheikh’s son.

As family successes go it took some topping and Dubai’s ruler made a point of saying it was a victory for a horse who came from the tiny Gulf state to secure Derby glory at Epsom.

Such vindication has been a long time coming for a man whose dream of international racing domination from a Dubai base saw the Godolphin concept first begin in 1994.

In the interim Lammtarra’s 1995 Derby came under the Godolphin umbrella although he carried the colours of the Sheikh’s nephew. A decade ago the Jim Bolger trained New Approach won carrying the colours of the Sheikh’s wife, Princess Haya.

Masar represents affirmation of almost 25 years of planning and investment running into billions.

It’s a project that originated before John Magnier installed Aidan O’Brien in Ballydoyle which in turn started a run of success that forced the Sheikh’s team to bend the knee in defeat far too often for comfort.

It was little wonder then if a win for colt by New Approach, who wintered in Dubai, and carried the famous blue colours, represented a landmark moment.

“It’s not easy to win the Derby but we have won it,” Sheikh Mohammed said immediately afterwards. “I was jumping up and down in the final furlong. Horses are in my blood. I love them.”

Since so many around the horse world make a living from that love then this was a reassuring success. There has never been any sign of a decline in investment from Dubai over the years but this was a victory to bolster any hint of flagging enthusiasm.

Saeed Bin Suroor won the Derby with Lammtarra so it was a huge moment for the Sheikh’s other main trainer, Englishman, Charlie Appleby.

“I’m delighted for His Highness. Firstly for giving me the position to be here. I’ve always said when I started this job I wanted to be the first person to have a Derby winner in Godolphin blue. The last 100 yards felt a long way. To have a Derby winner for Godolphin is fantastic,” he said.

The significance wasn’t lost on Buick either. The jockey who had twice before finished runner up in the race said: “This is huge, it’s massive. He stayed the trip, he travelled beautifully. The Guineas didn’t happen for him but he’s a very good horse and the team believed in him. Since I wanted to be a jockey this was the day I was dreaming of.”

Co. Kerry born jockey Oisin Murphy briefly looked like upsetting the Dubai party when ranging up on the outside on board Roaring Lion. His run petered out however.

“It was a massive run. The race went to plan. He just doesn’t stay a mile and a half on that ground. But he behaved very well and is a very exciting horse going forward,” Murphy said.

Also happy with Masar’s victory were bookmakers who reported they were saved a payout running into millions on Saxon Warrior.

The odds on favourite raced on the inside from his No. 1 draw and was alongside Masar until early in the straight. Moore’s efforts to secure a run once around Tattenham Corner appeared to be foiled three times, the last by Roaring Lion who hemmed Saxon Warrior in as he launched his own run.

“Failed to pick up,” was Moore’s comment afterwards. “I just don’t think he fired. These races are always tight. The winner got first run and I followed him through so I can’t have too many excuses.”

O’Brien added: “Everything out there today at Epsom might just have been new to them and it would have been a big shock to him coming to this track, but I don’t know.

“I’ve seen it happen to horses where they leave a run here behind them very quick.

“When Ryan dropped down him, he just kept on going without really showing a turn of foot.

“It was a whole new experience with him and I suppose he found everything a bit different. He is a baby horse and it is only his fifth run - we’ll look forward to the next time.

“We’ll see how he is but we could head to the Irish Derby. He has run on very easy, uncomplicated tracks and this is the first uncomplicated track he has had to handle.

“Saxon Warrior might have just got in awe of everything, but I wouldn’t take anything away from the winner - he just didn’t fire. His next run might tell us a lot.”

The 239th Derby was ultimately about Masar and Godolphin however. The winner is now a 6-1 shot for the King George with some firms and 10-1 for the Arc. Probably no price can be put though on what this Epsom success means to his owner.</s>The Epsom Derby Festival comes to a close on Saturday (June 2) with the promise of the biggest event - the Derby .

With Queen Elizabeth II expected to be in attendance at Epsom Downs Racecourse , crowds will come in their thousands with ladies wearing fascinators and gentlemen in their top hat and tails.

The first of seven races will begin at 2pm with the Queen due to arrive shortly beforehand.

After yesterday's success in the Investec Oaks with Forever Together, trainer Aidan O'Brien will be hoping to get his second successive Derby win.

O'Brien managed to win his sixth Epsom Derby with 40/1 outsider Wings of Eagles and has entered five horses for the main event.

Saxon Warrior, Delano Roosevelt, The Pentagon, Kew Gardens and Zabriskie have all been trained under the Irishman's wing and will be hoping to bring home the prize money of more than £1m home.</s>The Queen beams in purple ahead of the 2018 Epsom Derby

HM Queen Elizabeth II has only missed two Epsom Derby festivals during her long reign</s>Masar may have upset the odds at Epsom on Saturday but bookmakers reckon Saxon Warrior will get revenge in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the end of the month.

Despite finishing only fourth to Godolphin’s ‘Blue Riband’ hero at the weekend, Saxon Warrior has been put in an early odds-on favourite for the Curragh’s €1.5 million highlight.

Aidan O’Brien had already nominated the Irish Derby as a possible option for Saxon Warrior to redeem his reputation and a mouth-watering Coolmore v Godolphin head-to-head looks on the cards after Masar’s trainer Charlie Appleby indicated on Sunday the Curragh is on his agenda too.

“Myself and Sheikh Mohammed watched the replays together last night and I think we’re both on the same page.

“We’ll see how he comes out of the race but he stayed the mile and a half well and I think the Irish Derby is the obvious place to go. We have no reason to come back in trip at the moment,” Appleby said.

Both he and O’Brien were out of luck in Sunday’s French Derby at Chantilly which went to the 4-1 second favourite Study Of Man.

The Pascal Bary-trained colt beat the 33-1 runner up Patascoy with Louis D’Or at 66-1 completing an all-French finish. It was a sixth Prix Du Jockey Club success for Bary.

Hunting Horn did best of O’Brien’s four runners in sixth while Godolphin’s Key Victory was eighth, a place in front of Ballydoyle’s No. 1 contender Rostropovich.

Like Saxon Warrior, Study Of Man is a son of the Japanese star Deep Impact and could try to succeed where his sire failed in the Arc this October.

“After he won the Prix Greffulhe it was either come here or go to Epsom and we decided to stay at this distance for the moment,” said a spokesman for Study Of Man’s owners. “We’ll regroup and see whether he could be a horse for the Arc.”

However it is the Irish Derby that’s shaping up into a more immediate championship clash between racing’s two superpower operations.

The Epsom runner-up, Dee Ex Bee, was also nominated as a likely Irish Derby runner by trainer Mark Johnston after completing a perfect Epsom 1-2 for Sheikh Mohammed on Saturday.

Dee Ex Bee races in the colours of his son, Sheikh Hamdan, but it was the sight of Masar carrying the Godolphin royal blue to their first Derby victory which inevitably was the focus of most attention.

Almost quarter of a century after the Sheikh’s cherished Godolphin project first struck on the European classic scene, and having had to play second-fiddle to their great rivals at Coolmore for so long, it was Masar who delivered the most coveted race of all.

“It was a fantastic result and as many people have said already it’s great for racing,” Appleby said. “Coolmore and Ballydoyle are doing what they’re doing and fair play to them. They’re very sporting people and congratulated us too.”

The Curragh will be very much home advantage for Ballydoyle though as O’Brien chases a 13th success in Ireland’s premier classic.

Godolphin’s first classic star Balanchine famously won the Irish Derby in 1994 but Godolphin’s only other success in the race came with Jack Hobbs three years ago.

Ladbrokes have installed Saxon Warrior a 4-5 favourite – the same odds he failed to land at Epsom – for the Curragh with Masar at 7-4.

The Bank Holiday weekend programme was curtailed on Sunday when Kilbeggan had to cancel their card due to a burst water main just over three hours before the scheduled first race. The Co Westmeath track was left without water when a pipe burst in the village of Dysart almost ten kilometres away.

Monday sees a National Hunt card in Listowel and flat action at Gowran where another son of Deep Impact, Conclusion, can bounce back from his saddle slipping during the Gallinule Stakes over a week ago. Newcomer Spiorad carries the presidential colours in the same maiden race.</s>Saxon Warrior is the hot favourite to win Saturday’s Epsom Derby.

The 2000 Guineas winner is hoping to win the second part of British racing’s Triple Crown.

No horse since Nijinsky in 1970 has managed the feat, with the final leg coming in September’s St Leger.

Saxon Warrior is one of five entries by trainer Aidan O’Brien, who also runs Delano Roosevelt, Kew Gardens, The Pentagon and Zabriskie.

ITV Racing begins at 1.30pm and finishes at 5pm.</s>London (AFP) - Masar of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum's Godolphin stable stormed to victory under jockey William Buick in Saturday's Epsom Derby, as trainer Charlie Appleby earned his first win in the race.

Dee Ex Bee, owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son Hamdan, finished second ahead of Roaring Lion in third, while 2,000 Guineas winner and odds-on favourite Saxon Warrior could only manage fourth.

"I can't express myself very well now," Buick told ITV Racing. "I've come close a couple of times. It's my seventh or eighth Derby ride and I thought sometimes, 'Is it ever going to come?'"

"I've dreamt of this since I wanted to be a jockey. Sheikh Mohammed has been so loyal to me so it is special to win."

Buick added: "I've had a few goes at it now and come to learn what to expect. I had a really nice horse to ride, he was very relaxed and came alive for me."

Masar, a son of the 2008 Derby winner New Approach, set off at 16/1, and brought a premature end to Saxon Warrior's attempt to become just the fourth horse in the last century to pull off an English Triple Crown.

The mount of two-time winning Derby jockey Ryan Moore was looking to complete the second step of the rare feat -- achieved by Gainsborough in 1918, Bahram in 1935 and Nijinsky in 1970 -- but missed out after failing to get a perfect run through the one mile four furlong race.

Aidan O'Brien had five horses in the 12-strong field and was chasing a record-equalling seventh Derby, but Masar handed Godolphin a first English Classic winner since Dawn Approach won the 2,000 Guineas in 2013.

Moore, who missed the Guineas to ride Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby, was unable to find his way through a congested field as Saxon Warrior was beaten for the first time in five races.

"It still hasn't sunk in. I always said I wanted to be the first trainer to train a Derby winner for Godolphin," said the 42-year-old Appleby, who was appointed to the post in 2013.

"It's not easy to win the Derby, but we have won it. We are pleased to be here today. Charlie Appleby is a very good trainer," Sheikh Mohammed added.

"I was jumping up and down in the final furlong. Horses are in my blood, I love them."

O'Brien's 19-year-old son Donnacha, who powered Saxon Warrior to victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, was ninth aboard Kew Gardens.
Masar defeats the odds-on favourite Saxon Warrior to win the 2018 Epsom Derby.