Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Group 1)

LAMBOURN was well-backed to complete the Epsom/Irish Derby double as 8/13 favourite, but was made to work harder than the market predicted, as stablemate Serious Contender (28/1) proved well-named, rather than suitably priced.

Lambourn’s presumed role of pace maker at Epsom saw Aidan O’Brien’s charge gain a clear lead under Wayne Lordan, for whom he ran out a three-and-three-quarter-length winner, but Ryan Moore was not gifted the same opportunity on Sunday. Ralph Beckett’s representative Sir Dinaden (40/1) was pushed along by Richard Kingscote to make the running, while Lambourn raced on his outer, with the 10-runner field quickening before the turn for home.

Lambourn was ridden approaching the two-furlong marker and asserted soon after, while Serious Contender ran on well under pressure to eyeball the leader a furlong from home. Moore’s mount found extra reserves to prevail by three-parts of a length while Epsom runner-up, the Charlie Johnston-trained Lazy Griff (14/1), who had been off the bridle in the early stages, stayed on strongly to take third, beaten a total of three lengths.

It marked a third straight win in the race for Aidan O’Brien, Coolmore and Ryan Moore, and completed a Derby cleansweep for Ballydoyle this season, begun by Camille Pissarro’s Prix du Jockey Club victory.

Lambourn emulated his sire Australia and grandsire Galileo in following up at the Curragh. Australia, also responsible for Coronation Stakes heroine Cercene, is enjoying something of a revival this term, after dropping to a bargain price of €10,000.

Easy attitude

After his 17th Irish Derby victory, Aidan O’Brien commented: “He’s a very straight-forward horse that gets the trip well.

Ryan was going to be happy if someone came with him as that keeps him focused. He’s a little bit laidback, a little bit lazy and you could see up the straight he was waiting all the time but that’s him.

“Ryan gave him a lovely ride. Ryan thought he would keep pulling out and he was pricking his ears all the way.”

On future plans, the trainer continued: “He could be a King George horse, he could be an Arc horse.” Lambourn remained unchanged for both the Arc and King George, for which he is 10/1 and 14/1 respectively with Paddy Power. The same firm shortened the Coolmore home-bred to 5/2 favourite for the St Leger.

Regarding the runner-up, who had finished second at Royal Ascot last time out, O’Brien explained: “We minded the second horse for a handicap in Ascot that we thought he couldn’t get beaten in and then a horse came and beat us that was entered in the King George, so it just goes to show what can happen.”