I doubt Seamie Heffernan would have reported back to Aidan O'Brien, you have just seen the future Derby winner, after the inspirationally named Pour Moi colt Wings Of Eagles trailed home in seventh place when making his career debut in a 7-furlong maiden at Galway back in July last year.
The Racing Post assessment of the run did not instil a lot of confidence.
'Hooded to load, dwelt, soon settled in rear of mid-division, 7th halfway, pushed along over 2f out and no impression when slightly impeded approaching straight, one pace final furlong."
But a glimmer of hope of better things to come came at his second start when bumped up to eight and a half furlongs in a 2yo maiden at Killarney
He won by one and a quarter lengths and was enough encouragement for O'Brien to take a shot at the Listed Zetland Stakes at Newmarket. He performed credibly enough in finishing fourth and was off to the big leagues in France for his 2yo finale in the Group I Criterium de Sant-Cloud over 10-furlongs.
He was never a factor, finishing ninth of the 13 starters.
Put away for the winter, Wings Of Eagles made his seasonal bow in the Group III Chester Vase, finishing second, a length and a quarter behind his better-fancied stablemate Venice Beach.
On to Epsom for the Derby, one part of Aidan O'Brien's six strong
With 31yo Padraig Beggy having his first sit on the son of Pour Moi, Wings Of Eagles was sent off an unloved 40/1 shot.
Beggy was probably better known to Australians than those fans at Epsom Downs but not for all the right reasons.
He was suspended for 15 months after a sample taken at barrier trials at Kembla Grange was found to contain a banned substance.
That must have seemed
It was reminiscent of Pour Moi's win in the race in 2011.
Bred by Aliette and Gilles Forien, Wings Of Eagles denied the great Galileo another classic success by defeating his favoured stablemate Cliffs of Moher by three-quarters of a length with the Frankel colt Cracksman a neck back in third.
"I got into a bit of trouble in Australia," Beggy told The Racing Post.
"I made a bad mistake and I had to put it behind me. I was knocked down and I had to pick myself up and come back fighting.
"I came home from Australia and two good friends of mine who were with Aidan got me the job. I started at Aidan's early in January [2015] and I've been there ever since, riding the best horses in the world day in and day out.
"I'd never have got my leg over these sort of horses anywhere else, and now I've won the Derby!"
Indeed, O'Brien heaped praise on
"Padraig is a brilliant rider. He is a world-class rider and always has been," he told Sporting Life.
"He has done an awful lot of work with Donnacha and is a brilliant rider. He is strong with a great mind, tactically very aware. I can't tell you how delighted we are to have him working with us and having him there on those big days.
"Padraig was always going to take his time and he gave the horse a brilliant ride. He had the horse nice and balanced and was in a great position coming down the hill.
"This was a nice horse last year, Colm (O'Donoghue) liked him and he ran a lovely race at the back-end in France. Then we took him to the Chester Vase, where he ran well. Seamie (Heffernan) rode him and was delighted. He had been working well since.
"You never really know going into this race. They are all bred for it and until you test them on this course over a mile and a half you don't know how they will do - anything can happen.
"I couldn't be happier and I am delighted with Cliffs Of Moher, who was just a little bit of a baby - he just got there and got a little bit tired, so his next run will be something to look forward to. He came with a sustained run but his lack of preparation just showed in the last 50 yards."
A €220,000 purchase at the 2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale, Wings Of Eagles comes from the second crop of 2011 Epsom Derby hero Pour Moi who sadly seems to have already been demoted to the ranks of national hunt stallions.
The son of Montjeu hit the ground running in the southern hemisphere where he stood at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand.
From his first crop came the Group I JJ Atkins Stakes hero Sacred Elixir and from his second the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes winner Haussmann.
A half-brother to the stakes-placed Torentosa (Oasis Dream) and Gyrella (Oasis Dream), Wings Of Eagles (pictured as a yearling) is out of the stakes-placed Kendor mare Ysoldina who ran second in the Group III Prix de la Grotte and third in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and in the Group II Prix Corrida and G III Prix Allez France.
Ysoldina is a half-sister to five stakes performers, including the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Belle et Celebre (Peintre Celebre).
