Epsom Saturday
Betfred Derby (Group 1)
THE 246th Derby, sponsored like all the 2025 British Classics by Betfred, was won in relentless fashion by the front-running Lambourn (Aidan O’Brien/Wayne Lordan), who outgalloped and outstayed his rivals to win by three and three-quarter lengths and a length from outsiders Lazy Griff (Charlie Johnston/Christophe Soumillon) and Tennessee Stud (Joseph O’Brien/Dylan Browne McMonagle).
Ridden along to take a prominent position from the stalls by Lordan, Lambourn led over the road crossing before the horses swept briefly right-handed after a furlong, and he set a solid pace which began to string his rivals out from a fairly early stage. With 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court withdrawn at the 11th hour due to concerns about the ground, Lambourn was sent off at an SP of 13/2 and was preceded in the betting by stablemate Delacroix and Pride of Arras, but neither of those trial winners could make an impact in the race, and it was the horse he had beaten in the Chester Vase who was again to play the role of bridesmaid.
In terms of numbers, this was an 11th Betfred Derby success for Aidan O’Brien following Galileo, High Chaparral, Camelot, Ruler Of The World, Australia, Wings Of Eagles, Anthony Van Dyck, Serpentine, Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy, while it was a 12th success for the Coolmore Partners, who also struck with the Andre Fabre-trained Pour Moi in 2011.
For stable stalwart Wayne Lordan, who had gone so close in the Oaks on Friday, it was a first Derby win on his ninth ride in the race, having also finished third on Galileo Rock, Japan and Los Angeles, and the winner is not only sired by a Derby winner (Australia) but sired by a Derby winner who was himself sired by a Derby winner in Galileo. Since stalls were first used for the Classic in 1967, stall 10 has been the luckiest berth, with Lambourn the 12th winner to emerge from that position.
Lambourn was following in the footsteps of Ruler Of The World in winning both the Chester Vase and the Derby, a feat also accomplished by Henbit and Shergar in the early 1980s. He will attempt to emulate the last-named in adding the Irish Derby to those wins when next seen, and could be a St Leger candidate down the line, with stamina his obvious strong-suit.
Boosted form
Lazy Griff was also boosting the Chester Vase form by running a blinder in second, while Tennessee Stud was back on an upward curve after finishing third to Delacroix in the Cashel Palace Derby Trial at Leopardstown. He was a strong-staying winner of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last autumn and is another who looked like he would progress again for a stiffer test.
He, too, could be on a collision course with Lambourn at the Curragh and Doncaster later in the season, but several of the big guns failed to fire, with favourite Delacroix poorly placed from an early stage and Dante winner Pride Of Arras failing to handle either the track or the big field and finishing one from last after meeting trouble. The Dante form did not hold up at all, with those who took part in the York trial filling four of the last five positions. Those are qualities that Lambourn possesses in spades, and he ran out a most deserving winner.
Modest
Of his part in victory, Aidan O’Brien was typically modest, saying: “I’m only a small part of a very big team. For everybody - everybody puts in so much, I cannot tell you. I can’t tell you the privilege it is for me to be dealing with everybody. Australia is a great Derby winner, very genuine, and that’s what this horse is - uncomplicated, genuine and committed. He always has been. His runs this year have been very good - he was second to Delacroix and then was very impressive in Chester. Chester again - you have to be on your game, and you have to stay, and that’s the way he was. Ryan loved him in Chester, and he obviously can’t ride them all. He’s probably an Irish Derby horse, and he will get further as well.”
On the vanquished from Ballydoyle, O’Brien said: “Ryan [Delacroix] said he got taken out quite early and then he was back in the field and in trouble - he said his chance was gone quite early. That’s the way it happens - sometimes it falls and sometimes it doesn’t. Colin [Keane, riding The Lion In Winter] said he felt at the top of the hill he was never going forward, and it was maybe the ground. Wayne was forward and he was never going to be stopping. Every inch he had, he was going to keep and not give it back. It was going to be very hard to beat him if you had any ground to make up, and Wayne obviously got the fractions 100% perfect. It’s been an incredible weekend - what can I say? It’s the people that make it.”
”Unbelievable” Wayne
Of those many people, O’Brien singled out winning jockey Wayne Lordan for particular praise, continuing: “Wayne is an unbelievable fella - so uncomplicated and so committed, so natural. Very talented. This horse has been working very well since Chester. Wayne rides him in his work, but Dean [Gallagher] has been riding him as well and they were very happy with him.
“Ryan wasn’t going to ride him anyway - he was going to ride one of the other two. But he loved him in Chester; he can’t ride them all, though.
“I knew there were two horses Wayne wanted to ride this weekend, and that was the filly [Whirl, second in the Oaks] and the colt [Lambourn] - he won’t tell you that, but those were the two he wanted to ride, and I knew that.
“Everyone knew what Wayne was going to do in the race; he’d said that, and he wasn’t hiding it, he was very happy to make the running if no one wanted to make it. If there was someone going, he was very happy to be second or third or fourth, I would imagine. Wayne was aggressive out of the gates, he got into a great position and was able to travel lovely to the top of the hill.
“He was very confident - he rides this horse in all his work, and he said to me last Monday, ‘He’s absolutely there’. Coming out of the parade ring today, he said, ‘This fellow’s on fire today’ - that was before the race. If you ask him, he’ll say this was a different horse today.
“Everyone latched on to the other two horses, but Lambourn was third or fourth favourite, wasn’t he? The word in our place was, whatever Ryan wanted to ride, I knew what Wayne wanted to ride. When I’d be going round the yards in the evening, the lads would be telling me what was going on; I knew what Wayne wanted to ride, so it made it easier for me!
“I’m delighted for him. All the way Wayne has been a massive part of the team. He rides so many of the big horses in their work; he’s there every day and it’s a privilege for us to have a man like him.
“He’s so straightforward and an unbelievable team player. He gets on with everybody, never offends everybody. He’s ruthless when he has to be, though - strong and determined.
“Lambourn was always going to be an Irish Derby horse, a Leger horse, and Wayne said he definitely would stay further. He saves plenty for himself and he gives himself a chance to get any trip.”
WELL beaten in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes on his previous start, Persica (Richard Hannon/Ryan Moore) justified 6/4 favouritism in the Group 3 Betfred Diomed Stakes over Epsom’s extended mile. The son of New Bay won the Lester Piggott Handicap at this meeting 12 months ago and proved his liking for the track when getting the better of Ice Max (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) and Docklands (Harry Eustace/Richard Kingscote) to score by three-parts of a length and a short head.
Persica had won the Group 3 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on his return, but seemed to resent firm ground at Newbury, and is clearly a better horse when getting his toe in. He’s likely to continue in minor group company with underfoot conditions likely to decide his next target.
Moore said: “He’s run some very good races. He was a good winner at Newmarket at the start of the year. The ground is important to him, and he had conditions in his favour; he’s put away some good horses there.”
Winning trainer Richard Hannon said: “He’s one of those horses that it’s a pleasure to turn up with - he’s a good-looking horse, belongs to the right people and has a chance in any race. Ryan’s always said to ply our trade around this level, and I think he’s dead right. He might make the occasional jump up on the back of a race like this, but he has a chance in any race on this ground.
“Ryan said he thought he struggled coming down the hill a little bit. I didn’t have the guts to tell him he came here last year and was fine…
“It’s a Group 3 and, at this level, he’s capable of winning right through the year. Looking forward, we’ll just follow the ground around. He’s a different horse on that.”
THE Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes had a competitive look on paper, but Spiritual (John & Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin) managed to steal an early lead from her wide stall and never looked back, eventually having four and three-quarter lengths to spare over Bright Thunder (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee), with Sparks Fly (Dave Loughnane/Laura Pearson) another half-length away in third.
The winning daughter of Invincible Spirit was suited by the return to softer ground here, handling the undulations well and returning at an SP of 9/1.
John Gosden said: “She loved it in front, got a bit of space around her and relaxed and had plenty of confidence. It’s lovely to win a Group 3 like that in style. They gave it to her easy up front, as they say. She’s a good filly, but she’s the kind to worry about the others.
“Now we’ve won a Group 3, we’ll try to win a Group 2. There’s one in France we’ve got our eye on, but we were hoping to run well today, not to win like that. It’s lovely for George Strawbridge, he can’t be here today, but I should think he’ll be thrilled to win on Derby Day.”
Around The Tracks
AIDAN O’Brien’s success with Lambourn wasn’t the reason to cheer for Irish stables, with a number of other winners during the past week. Noel Kelly struck twice with well-backed runners, with Nakassama landing a gamble in a handicap hurdle at Hexham on Derby day, and the Draperstown stable struck again the following day at Perth, courtesy of the heavily-backed Garrick Painter. Both horses were ridden by Oran McGill.
Also at Perth, Emily Love landed a two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle for Gordon Elliott and Sean Bowen, returning at 4/9 as she followed up a win at Limerick under a penalty.
At Wolverhampton on Tuesday, the Michael O’Callaghan-owned and trained Ninth Crusade won a six-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton under Cieren Fallon having been backed into 8/15 favourite.