Lambourn prevails in Group 1 Epsom Derby
EPSOM - Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has won a record-extending 11th Epsom Derby as Lambourn led from start to finish to score in the £1.5 million (S$2.6 million) Group 1 Epsom Derby (2,400m) at the Epsom Downs racecourse on June 7.
That win completed an extraordinary two days for the six-time British champion trainer.
Minnie Hauk, a daughter of Frankel, beat stablemate Whirl to take out the Group 1 Epsom Oaks (2,400m) for three-year-old fillies on June 6, while Jan Brueghel saluted in the other Group 1 race, the Coronation Cup (2,400m).
It was not the first time the 55-year-old handler has achieved the Oaks/Derby double. O'Brien last achieved the feat in 2020 with Love in the Epsom Oaks, and with Serpentine, who also made all in the Epsom Derby five years ago.
"It's been an incredible two days. I am delighted," said O'Brien.
"This horse (Lambourn) is uncomplicated, genuine and committed. He always has been."
After landing the Group 3 Chester Vase Stakes (2,500m) under Ryan Moore on May 7, the three-year-old colt of Australia stepped up to the plate at his first Group 1 attempt.
With O'Brien's No. 1 jockey opting to take the reins on his stablemate and last-start Group 3 Derby Trial (2,000m) winner Delacroix, it was Delacroix's last-start winning partner Wayne Lordan who would ride Lambourn.
The multiple Group 1-winning Irish jockey was not at his first association with Lambourn. He was aboard Lambourn when he scored on debut in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race (1,600m) at Killarney racecourse on July 18, 2024.
Lordan's career was in doubt a couple of years ago after a dreadful fall from San Antonio in the 2023 Group 1 Irish Derby (2,400m). He suffered a fractured leg and elbow, and was out of action for eight months.
"I had to go through a whole series of tests," he told English broadcaster ITV.
"I finally got the green light, but it was rather an odd way to tell me I could ride again.
"He (doctor) said you are fit enough to take another fall. I knew if I had another fall, it would be the end of my career."
The Epsom Derby win was a career-defining moment in Lordan's riding career, and even if it came in front of a disappointing crowd - a smattering of spectators populating the normally packed Epsom Hill on the inside of the track - that mattered not a jot.
"It's one of the greatest races," said the 43-year-old hoop.
"For any jockey that wants to start out, all they ever want to do is to win the Derby. I work for Aidan, Ballydoyle and Coolmore, so I'm in a lucky position that I get to ask for a horse like this."
Lordan was never challenged at his first Epsom Derby win on his ninth ride in the race considered to be the "blue riband" of flat racing.
"I knew I'd gone a good gallop, his ears were pricked and I knew he had plenty left," he said.
"We've always felt he stays well, so I just thought anybody that gets to me will have to stay well, and it'd be tough for them."
Upon jumping from gate 10, Lordan was seen scrubbing his mount up to the front before crossing to show the way on the paint. Sea Scout (Harry Davies) sat in second on his outside while Lazy Griff (Christophe Soumillon) tracked up behind the leader in third.
Once Lambourn ($51) hit the straight, he was off and gone. None of the other fancied horses, including race favourite Delacroix, landed a blow.
The son of Dubawi settled in the middle of 18 initially, but as they turned for home, he was third from last. He eventually finished ninth.
Moore told O'Brien after the race Delacroix had been bumped and never recovered from the impact.
It was two outsiders that were closest at the finish - Lazy Griff (50-1) was 3¾ lengths away in second, while 28-1 chance Tennessee Stud, trained by O'Brien's son Joseph, finished another length behind in third.
There had been hopes that the Aga Khan Stud-owned Midak would deliver a poignant win in a race named this year in honour of the late Aga Khan IV, who won the race five times.
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained colt raced in fourth for a long way, but when the moment came for jockey Mickael Barzalona to move up a gear on the French runner, he went into reverse and finished 10th.
Another favourite, Ruling Court, was pulled out less than two hours before the race.
It dashed hopes of him becoming the first colt - since Nijinsky in 1970 - to win the English Triple Crown. The Justify colt won the Group 1 2,000 Guineas (1,600m) - the first leg - at Newmarket on May 3.
The Epsom Derby is the second leg and the Group 1 St Leger (2,900m) held at Doncaster in September, will be the final leg.
"It's very disappointing," said his trainer Charlie Appleby.
"Stamina was an unknown for us. We felt that what we saw in the Guineas on quick ground and the way he quickened that day, it was not going to be the ground for him today to be testing him over a mile and a half."
AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Chiefs can win Super Rugby Pacific title in future, says departing coach McMillan
Departing Waikato Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan said the team could claim a future Super Rugby Pacific title despite losing in the final for the third season in a row with Saturday's 16-12 defeat by the Canterbury Crusaders. McMillan, who has been in charge for all three final losses, is leaving to take over as head coach of Irish side Munster but retains confidence in the players to one day deliver success. "The consistency of our performances have been something to really relish," McMillan said. "I love these men and I know how hard they work and I'm confident that in the near future, they'll get across the line. "The wheels are going to keep ticking over and we've got bloody good people in the organisation and, who knows, maybe a change of head coach might be what's needed to get the job done." The loss in the final in Christchurch was the second in three seasons to the Crusaders for McMillan and his team, who were defeated in the 2024 edition by the Auckland Blues. Saturday's defeat was by the narrowest margin of the three, with only four points separating the teams at the end of a tense encounter, in which Rivez Reihana kicked 11 points for the Crusaders. "Everyone knows we have been to the final dance a number of times and not got the job done, but I'm at peace," McMillan said. "The disappointment will linger, but we can't change anything. It's done now. "The reflection will be about remembering all the good stuff that happened. But I know that we are a tight group who feel the disappointment, who have ridden the highs. "We will bounce back. The sun will rise in the morning, I think, here tomorrow, and life will continue. "People probably don't realise how tough it is to just get to a final, and even tougher when you've been to a number and you haven't quite got the job done." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New Paper
2 days ago
- New Paper
Shock wins rock Royal Ascot G1's
ASCOT Cercene and Time For Sandals brought smiles to the faces of bookmakers on the fourth day of Royal Ascot on June 20, springing huge shocks in the two Group 1 races. Cercene was at 33-1 ($160 on the Singapore tote) the longest price winner ever in the £725,750 (S$1.26 million) Coronation Stakes (1,600m). The Australian-owned filly by Australia fought back under Gary Carroll to beat French favourite Zarigana (Mickael Barzalona). The win gave Irish trainer Joe Murphy, who had only had one previous runner at the meeting, his first Group 1 hurrah and easily his most prestigious win, and it comes on arguably the biggest stage. "This is 50 years of work, that's what it is, of love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people, it's just a whole group of people together," said Murphy, 70, who has been training since 1977. "This is heaven on Earth." For Carroll, it was his third Royal Ascot winner but also his first ever Group 1 winner anywhere, and due reward for flying back to Berkshire after riding in Ireland on Thursday. "Hugely good horses are very hard to come by and sometimes only one comes along in a lifetime and I guess mine has," he said. Harry Eustace has got a real taste now for Group 1 races at Royal Ascot. After breaking his duck with Docklands in the opener - the Queen Anne Stakes (1,600m) on Tuesday - he added a second in the £725,750 Commonwealth Cup (1,200m) with Time For Sandals, a shock 25-1 winner ($144). Before her stunning win, Time For Sandals, a filly by Sands Of Mali, had one debut win at Kempton and four placings in five starts. "I don't know, it has not landed yet," said Eustace. "You have to be very careful with Ascot. If you get your hopes up, it can bite you back." For his father James, who Harry took over from, it was "magic". "It is so wonderful," said Eustace senior, who also enjoyed success at Royal Ascot, and whose younger son David is having a great start to his Hong Kong training career. "We tried to get Harry to go to university, we succeeded initially and he went to Edinburgh. "He had two good years and a lot of fun before he dropped out and then took off for Australia and the racing bug bit." For jockey Richard Kingscote, it was a seventh Royal Ascot winner, but first at Group 1 level, ending a run of 67 defeats at the meeting. "I've had some nice horses but this will do the world of good," he said. "I'm delighted to ride a good winner for Harry, he's a gentleman, it's a happy yard." Godolphin's Charlie Appleby was looking to end his three-year losing run, but hot favourite Shadow of Light never featured. AFP
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
‘No excuses' says Lions coach Andy Farrell after loss to Argentina
DUBLIN – Coach Andy Farrell had hoped for a tough game against Argentina before the British and Irish Lions boarded their flight for Australia, and said his still gelling squad had no excuses after getting more than they bargained for in a 28-24 defeat. 'We made it a tough game,' a forthright Farrell said on June 20 when asked if he got the kind of stern test he wanted and that the group's limited time together was no kind of mitigating factor. 'I wouldn't give that excuse. We need to be better than that. They're Lions players.' While he said he was pleased with the Lions' aggressive scrummaging, the list of areas to improve was long – a 'clunky' attack, breakdown, misfiring lineout, kicking game, throwing balls blindly away and battles in the air and on the ground. 'It's too much, it's too much when it all comes together... The whole story of the game is that we compounded too many errors and in the end we weren't able to put the pace on the game that we wanted to because of that,' Farrell added. 'We need to be honest because if we're not honest, how do we gain trust with each other so we have to say it as it is. There were certain things that we said we were going to do and we need to own that. 'Losing hurts, especially in this jersey so we need to find the solutions pretty quickly.' The Pumas had the Lions on the ropes early thanks to tries from Ignacio Mendy and Tomas Albornoz either side of a Bundee Aki effort that gave them a deserved 21-10 half-time lead. The Lions, playing without almost half of their panel due to recent club commitments and injury, were a different animal early in the second half and regained the lead after a penalty try and another home crowd score, this time for Tadhg Beirne. But Santiago Cordero put Argentina back in front against the run of play with another great team try and the error-strewn Lions could not reply again to leave themselves five more games, all in Australia, to set things right before the first test against the Wallabies on July 19. Farrell had said he expected the Lions to have a fully fit squad in the next week with Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan and Huw Jones working their way back to fitness, and at least appeared to come away unscathed. 'Health wise we seem to have come away okay,' he said. Centre Aki said he was disappointed in his own performance and not connecting better with new centre partner Sione Tuipulotu, said Farrell had been just as forthright in the changing room. 'He gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around and we're old enough to take it on the chin. Faz (Farrell) set out a challenge for us to win every game and we've just got to learn quickly,' the Irish No. 12 said. Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi, meanwhile, knew just how special and potentially unique the victory was, having gone agonisingly close as a player two decades ago. Contepomi was captain when the sides last met before the Lions' 2005 tour of New Zealand. That game ended in a 25-25 draw, and the latest contest was just Argentina's second shot at the Lions in almost a century. 'Coming here 20 years later I think it's incredible. We don't know if we'll ever again be invited and definitely for everyone who's been involved this week it will be memorable,' he said. 'It is special. I know how special it is for an Irish, a Scottish, a Welsh or an English player to be a Lion, and for us to play against the best of the best in these islands, it's nearly a dream.' REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
