Benvenuto Cellini’s Epsom effort was a “non-event” but Aidan O’Brien’s colt proved a transformed proposition when leading home a 1-2-3 for the trainer in Sunday’s €1.25 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.It was an 18th success for O’Brien in Ireland’s premier Classic as the 7-4 favourite was ridden out to victory by Ryan Moore. Benvenuto Cellini had almost two lengths in hand of the Epsom winner Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard filled the frame for Ballydoyle.Moore’s decision to stick with Benvenuto rather than opt for Christmas Day was vindicated with a fourth Irish Derby for the English jockey, who had picked incorrectly from O’Brien’s multiple entries in previous Classics this season.This time it proved relatively straightforward, certainly more so than at Epsom where Christmas Day’s success got pushed to the wings in the subsequent furore over Benvenuto Cellini’s performance.Starting a 3-1 favourite, Benvenuto missed the break slightly after cocking a hind leg on a running guard inside his stall just as the gates opened. After struggling on the soft ground and passing the post in 10th, he was declared a non-runner by the Epsom stewards, who concluded the horse didn’t have a fair start.It generated significant criticism for Britain’s racing authorities due to the impact on betting markets. It also left the unwitting colt at the centre of it all with plenty to prove. But Moore’s faith in him back on home soil was fully justified with a redemptive performance.Last into the stalls this time, Benvenuto Cellini broke adequately but quickly found himself trailing his seven opponents. Another of O’Brien’s four runners, Action, again cut out the pace, closely followed by Christmas Day. But with Raaheeb – the major cross-channel hope – keen to race off the rail, Moore availed of the room to go up the inner and improve his position.It proved an important move as the favourite looked to have everything covered on the approach to the straight. Moore challenged on the outer and was last to go for everything. At the line, there was no disputing Benvenuto Cellini’s superiority.Christmas Day made an honourable attempt to become the 21st colt to complete the Epsom-Curragh double. Previous horses to accomplish it include Santa Claus 62 years previously. Jockey Ronan Whelan said his mount didn’t relish quick going and could be a St Leger contender.Such a test of stamina is unlikely to be on the winner’s agenda, although he raced strongly throughout the mile-and-a-half test. He was cut to 5-1 for next month’s King George at Ascot and is just double those odds for the Arc.Groom Pat Keating (left), trainer Aidan O’Brien and Annemarie O’Brien after Benvenuto Cellini's victory in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. Photograph: Morgan Treacy “Epsom was just a mess,” said Moore. “Obviously, we had the stalls and everything, but with the ground being the way it was, that’s the only time I’ve ever rode in the Derby where we haven’t stayed on the far side.“It was an unusual set of circumstances and the way Epsom gets when it’s like that, you have to be close to the pace so with what happened, he had no hope.“I thought he travelled into the race beautifully. The way the track is riding today with the wind, it’s difficult to come from too far back, and I ended up producing him sooner than I would have ideally liked. But I didn’t want to break his rhythm.“He’s got a lot of quality, travels very comfortably, a beautiful mover; it will be interesting [to see] what the future holds for him,” the rider added.That’s O’Brien’s call and the trainer is already considering Benvenuto Cellini over shorter than a mile-and-a-half. Leopardstown’s Champion Stakes in September is on his radar.“Obviously all the things seemed to conspire against him at Epsom,” said O’Brien. “It was very difficult for Ryan – I thought it was probably impossible to make up two furlongs. He wasn’t beaten one furlong; he was beaten two in Epsom. I’m delighted for Ryan because it was a difficult decision.“He went out with an open mind about what could happen today, whether he was going to end up last or he was going to end up going down the rail. Obviously, his mind is very quick and he thought that was the right thing.“He’s a beautiful mover with a lot of class. Ryan felt with this horse that he’d rather go back to a mile-and-a-quarter than go any further than a mile-and-a-half, so that’s class.”For the second year in a row, O’Brien completed the hat-trick of Europe’s three major Derby prizes, although this time with different horses. Constitution River landed the French prize. It was the ninth time he’s pulled off a 1-2-3 in the Classic he has dominated like no other.Earlier, O’Brien and Moore uncovered a Classic contender for next year after the regally-bred Alpha won Sunday’s opening maiden by six lengths. She was made a 10-1 favourite for the 1,000 Guineas next season.