Winning Epsom Derby trainer Aidan O'Brien has hailed his "superstar" Galileo after an awesome victory in the premier Classic.

The Irish raider dashed clear of 2,000 Guineas winner Golan, and Frankie Dettori's mount Tobougg to record a remarkable triumph watched by a huge crowd on Saturday.

A delighted O'Brien said afterwards that his horse "could gallop on water."

"He is extraordinary, a superstar, a very special horse," he said.

"At the time we thought that the other horses must have been wrong, but now we know that clearly they were not."

O'Brien looked a man who had just seen a dream realised, and his faith in a horse rewarded.

"All the time we have just tried to go gently with him, as we do with all our horses and just let them find their way without making things too tough for them," he said.

'Lucky omen'

"It has all been a brilliant team effort and I am thrilled for everyone involved with what we have done. He really is a quite extraordinary horse, utterly amazing."

Ten proved to be a lucky number for winning jockey Mick Kinane, who completed an Oaks-Derby double for O'Brien.

"I had a lucky omen as I was drawn (in stall) 10 both days.

"He's a hell of a horse - the best I've ridden at that distance. And he has the pace to come back in distance as well."

Frankie Dettori is still looking for his first Derby winner after Tobougg finished third, a neck behind Golan.

"He found the track a little tricky. When the race started he was a little bit outpaced, which surprised me.

"Then when he got balanced he stayed on and got third. I think he'll go for the Eclipse now."

'Disappointed'

Pat Eddery had nothing but praise for his mount, Golan: "He had a perfect run, there were no excuses."

Golan's trainer Sir Michael Stoute admitted: "Galileo was the better horse on the day."

Richard Hills, who guided Mr Combustible to fourth, said: "He ran a good race, there were no excuses."

His trainer, Barry Hills, who also had Storming Home in fifth, Perfect Sunday, sixth and Chancellor 10th, said: "They all ran well.

"I was a bit disappointed there wasn't more pace but having said that I wouldn't have thought it made much difference to the result.

"The winner is probably a very good horse, he was always travelling like a winner.

"I always thought Mr Combustible would run a very big race, I thought he would be in the four."