Pour Moi wins thrilling Derby

Pour Moi (left) flashes down the outside of the field

A jubilant Barzalona crosses the finish line whip aloft

Pour Moi (left) pips Treasure Beach to the winning line

Barzalona holds the French flag in celebration at Epsom

Pour Moi was a stunning last-gasp winner of the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday.

Derby debutant Mickael Barzalona held his whip aloft crossing the line on the 4-1 winner after beating Treasure Beach (25-1) by a head.

The Queen's Carlton House (5-2 favourite) lost a shoe inside the final furlong and finished a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Joseph O'Brien, also making his Derby debut, set the pace on Memphis Tennessee, trained by his father Aidan.

He held a six-length lead with big outsider Marhaba Malyoon as they made the descent to Tattenham Corner, where Ryan Moore was pushed wide on Carlton House.

Treasure Beach, another O'Brien runner, hit the front with Carlton House trying to make his bid and Native Khan and Recital not far behind.

But Pour Moi came from even further back to launch his bid and grab the spoils, giving the Coolmore triumvirate of John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor the first and second.

Sensational

Fabre said: "He is such a good horse. He accelerated twice, once to catch up and then again.

"It is such a pleasure to win this race with my young jockey in front of a big crowd. I couldn't be more happy."

Tabor said: "It was sensational. He was at the back of the field, but we always knew he had to ridden that way. It was a tall order to do it like that, but we knew he was very good and it's not a surprise.

"I could always see him winning from what Andre had told us about the horse.

"We wanted to win, obviously, it goes without saying - but one thing is for sure and that is if we hadn't we wanted the Queen's horse to win."

Smith had Treasure Beach running in his colours and said: "You don't ask Andre (to run), he tells you. I was cheering Treasure Beach without seeing where Pour Moi was coming from."

Coolmore supremo Magnier said: "I wish that someone else owned the third horse, but that's racing.

"Andre was confident all the way for the last few weeks. He said how he was going to be ridden and said he had more speed than (Arc winner) Peintre Celebre. He was confident."

Arc target

Fabre went on: "The plan now is for a summer break and to aim him at the Arc, subject to the owners agreeing.

"I wouldn't think he would run in the King George as that is a hard race for inexperienced three-year-olds.

"The double acceleration he showed is something you only see in special horses.

"Training horses is a day-by-day task, but the way he won the Prix Greffulhe made me think the Derby could be the right kind of race for him.

"I was a bit worried when he had to make up a lot of ground, but it was always the plan to ride him that way and the fact it was a small field helped.

"I've been trying to win the Derby for so long, but at last it has come."

Fantastic

Asked about Barzalona, Fabre said: "He is a home-bred jockey and I had total confidence in him. He is only 19."

Barzalona said: "I always felt confident during the race, and even though I was at the back the other good horses were just in front of me.

"For a while I thought I would be fourth or fifth, but he just accelerated.

"It is fantastic and I don't realise yet what has happened."

Sky Bet make Pour Moi the 4-1 favourite for the Arc at Longchamp on October 2, a race Fabre has won seven times.

Messy

Connections of Carlton House felt the colt did not get the run of the race. John Warren, the Queen's racing and bloodstock advisor, said: "Ryan (Moore) is disappointed, but said it was a messy race and the horse marginally missed the kick.

"He said a few horses, the long outsiders, came back on him and that didn't help him get into that smooth rhythm he wanted. As a consequence he had to make his run from further back than he wanted.

"He felt if the circumstances had been different so would the result. I would say it was just the run of the race that did us no favours. If he takes on the same horses again who knows the result might be different."

Carlton House was only declared fit to run on Friday after overcoming an injury scare.

His trainer Sir Michael Stoute said: "He's run very well, but things just haven't gone right.

"He had a hold-up close to the race and during it he got too far back and then had to run wide into the straight.

"He's still a high-class colt and he will have a big day."

Pleased

O'Brien was pleased with all his four runners, particularly the runner-up Treasure Beach.

He said: "They all ran well and Treasure Beach has run a really good race."

Pat Smullen was on O'Brien's sixth-placed Recital as a dramatic late replacement for Kieren Fallon, who was prevented from riding after the owners of Native Khan sought an injunction against him and were successful at the Court of Appeal on the morning of the race.

Smullen said: "We had a lovely run down into the straight, but once we got there he didn't handle the camber and kept lying over the top of the fence."

Satisfied

Ed Dunlop was satisfied with the effort of Native Khan, who was a close fifth in the hands of Johnny Murtagh.

Dunlop said: "He was slightly boxed in but he's run a great race. The first thing Johnny said was maybe he could have finished a length closer, but he stayed well and it was a really good run.

"Johnny said that he's only just beginning to become a racehorse. Well done to the ones in front of us.

"He's in the Irish Derby but we'll take him home and see how he is. There are many options."