Aidan O’Brien has now won 30 Group One races at the Betfred Derby Festival as Jan Brueghel (100-30) handed the master of Ballydoyle his 10th success in the Betfred Coronation Cup. O’Brien has also won the Betfred Derby and Betfred Oaks on 10 occasions.

Partnered by Ryan Moore, last year’s St Leger winner took the lead entering the final quarter mile. He faced a strong challenge from French challenger and 8-13 Favourite Calandagan inside the final furlong and held on to score by half a length.

Aidan O’Brien said: “He’s very tough and Ryan gave him a class ride, but you know he doesn’t surrender. He’d improved a lot from the last day, and you could see he was pricking his ears at the finish.

“Ryan gave him a clever ride. He ran a lovely race first time back when it was only a mile and a quarter and he got beat by a good horse of Joseph's. It was a bit unfair to pitch him in early over a mile and a quarter, but we just needed to get him out.

“He’s a very brave horse and if you pass him slowly, you’re in trouble. Ryan gave him an incredible ride, balanced him and got him in a lovely rhythm, and you can see him starting to come from a long way out.

“Everyone knew before the race that it was going to be a good gallop, and Wayne [Lordan, on Continuous] was there to make sure it was a good gallop. All anyone wanted was for it to be a solidly run, evenly run race, and then we’d see. Then we’d know after the race what to do next, what distance to go for next time, what to not do. The worst thing is when you come out of a race and you say, ‘But if they’d gone a good pace, then…’ that’s a problem for everybody.

“He’s a very good tough horse who was unbeaten last year, and he’d still be unbeaten if I hadn’t run him too early at The Curragh this year.

“Everyone was standing in line to Kyprios, and we knew that. He was always going to get first preference on everything, and there was going to be no move made with anything if he was going to go to the Gold Cup. So obviously he came out of the Gold Cup and that’s why Illinois got put in there, and when Illinois was put in there, this fella came into this position. He was going to go to France for the Group One and Longchamp, and then didn’t need to. He was going to be the biggest penalty kick ever in the Melbourne Cup last year, but he didn’t get to run!”

Ryan Moore said: “He had only been beaten once and that was his first run this year over a mile and a quarter.

“He stays this trip very well and is an uncomplicated horse really. Aidan had him, as he always does, in unbelievable shape.

“He showed a great attitude. The second horse is a very talented horse and I am sure he’ll win a big race soon. The ground, being just on the slower side of good, suited him and he stayed on really well.”

Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of the second Calandagan, said: “The horse had a perfect run and got the ride we were thinking of. Going down the hill he found himself behind Ryan (Moore on the winner) and he gave him plenty of time to balance. He probably took the lead for a small moment and then when they started to climb again you could see that Ryan was finding more. He’s a very talented horse and I’m sure he’ll win a Group One as he always runs his race. There are no excuses and I think it was a good performance.

“Don’t forget he ran in Dubai and he hasn’t run in Europe until this race. I think he was ready, but the winner is a tough O’Brien horse who keeps finding more. He’s in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.”

Calandagan’s jockey Mickael Barzalona, added: “He always throws away the start a little - we cannot manage another way with him, but once he found his rhythm… I was behind Ryan at Tattenham Corner and I was pretty happy to be there. About 100yd before the line I hoped he’d stay on, he was just getting a bit tired before the line. It was the first time for him at this track and I hoped that he would break faster and get a better position earlier, but he has his own rhythm and we have to deal with that. This is the first time he has run on this different sort of track. I think he might have been outstayed, yes.”

The £100,000 Betfred Nifty Fifty Handicap over a mile and a quarter saw something of a shock as 28-1 chance Ecureuil Secret (Richard Fahey/Oisin Orr) came home the impressive four-length winner.