Johnny Murtagh was the toast of Ireland today after giving the country its first success in the Vodafone Derby for 16 years.
The jockey whose career was almost wrecked by weight problems guided Sinndar to a one-length triumph in the £1,050,000-added Epsom Classic.
The 7-1 chance, trained by John Oxx and owned by the Aga Khan, demonstrated real grit to wear down Sakhee (4-1) inside the final furlong.
The 7-2 favourite Beat Hollow was a further five lengths back in third.
Ireland was seizing its second big British racing prize of the year having won the Grand National with Papillon _ a double the country last achieved in 1958, with Mr What and Hard Ridden.
Sinndar was the first Curragh-trained Derby winner since the late Micky Rogers' Santa Claus in 1964.
The Aga Khan, 63, was registering his fourth Derby victory having taken the race with the legendary Shergar as well as Shahrastani and Kahyasi.
Murtagh, 30, said: 'It's terrific to be here and I hope everyone at home including my two kids enjoyed watching it.
'I want to thank the Aga Khan and John Oxx as they've stood by me through all my problems.'
Sakhee had led travelling into Tattenham Corner but Sinndar was on his tail waiting to challenge.
Gradually warming to his task, Sinndar struck the front inside the final furlong to seize the first prize.
Beat Hollow stayed on well but was never able to seriously threaten the front two.
'I got a beautiful run behind Richard Hills (on Sakhee) and it all opened up for me two and a half furlongs out,' said Murtagh.
'My horse's heart is in the right place and I'm sure you can never get to the bottom of him.'
Murtagh had been forced to relinquish his status as Oxx's stable jockey when his weight ballooned.
But the determined jockey overcame the difficulties to become the Irish champion twice.
'It's still tough for me with the weight,' he said. 'I try to eat a normal meal at the weekend but often it's just vegetables and fish.
'I wake up every morning and weigh 8-11 or 8-12. It's a constant battle but I try to keep myself mentally and physically right and that's a big help.'
Oxx is well-known for his quiet, undemonstrative approach to racing which has served him so well since he took over from his father John in 1978.
He said: 'This horse has never told me a lot at home from his work with handicappers.
'But he looked the best I'd ever seen him before coming over here and the extra two furlongs and strong pace were a big help.
'He's a horse with a great heart and if he was going to win he was always going to win it this way.'
The Aga Khan was putting the seal on a tremendous meeting, having won yesterday's Coronation Cup with Daliapour.
'That was marvellous. It is very important to win races like the Derby when you have a breeding operation that is the size of mine.'
Sinndar will now be going home and trying to win the Irish Derby at the end of the month.
Sakhee's trainer John Dunlop said: 'He ran a great race. He tries hard and doesn't give in.'
Beat Hollow's trainer Henry Cecil was fined £3,200 and jockey Richard Quinn £1,000 after the colt failed to parade in racecard order during the preliminaries. -PA
