THE Aga Khan’s Harzand overcame a pre-race injury scare to win Saturday’s Gr1 Investec Epsom Derby over 2400m, the world’s greatest flat race.

The 10/1 sixth-favourite almost pulled out of the race after blood was found on his foot on Saturday morning, but took to the start line and romped to victory.

Harzand (green silks), stayed on strongly.

This was a first victory in the race for the trainer Dermot Weld and jockey Pat Smullen, while it was also a triumph for Irish racing, which provided the first three home.

Smullen said: “Its what you dream of. More so for me, for the bosses to win this race, I’m delighted to have ridden the winner. The trouble we had this morning. I didn’t know if I was going to get on the plane at all. The boys have done a great job to get him here at all.

“It’s a whole team effort and I’m delighted for the team. He is the greatest trainer in the world,” Smullen said of Weld while still mounted, soon after crossing the line. “I heard Ryan [Moore] coming, I saw the white face of US Army Ranger. But he dug in.”

This was a fifth Derby win for the Aga Khan, his previous winners being the famous, ill-fated Shergar (1981), Sharastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988) and Sinndar (2000). Harzand is a son of Sea The Stars, who won the race in 2009.