O'Brien wins record-extending 11th Derby with Lambourn
O'Brien wins record-extending 11th Derby with Lambourn
Jockey Wayne Lordan rides Lambourn to victory at the Epsom Derby. Photo: AFP
Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien won a record-extending 11th Epsom Derby as Lambourn put up an astonishing performance to lead from start to finish on Saturday.
For O'Brien it completed an extraordinary two days as Minnie Hauk won the Oaks on Friday and his Jan Brueghel won the other Group One race the Coronation Cup.
It is not the first time the 55-year-old has achieved the Oaks/Derby double, last doing it in 2020 with Love (Oaks) and Serpentine.
Jockey Wayne Lordan was never challenged in winning his first Derby on his ninth ride in the race considered to be the 'blue riband' of flat racing.
None of the other fancied horses landed a blow and it was two outsiders that were closest at the finish – Lazy Griff (50/1) was second with 28/1 chance Tennessee Stud, trained by O'Brien's son Joseph, third.
"I knew I'd gone a good gallop, his ears were pricked and I knew he had plenty left," said Lordan.
"He's a horse that we've always felt stays well so I just thought anybody that gets to me will have to stay well and it'd be tough for them."
Lordan's career was in doubt a couple of years ago after a dreadful fall in the Irish Derby in which he suffered a fractured leg and elbow.
Saturday, though, represented his biggest ever victory.
"It's one of the greatest races," said the 43-year-old.
"For any jockey that wants to start out, all they ever want to do is win the Derby and I work for Aidan, Ballydoyle, Coolmore so I'm in a lucky position that I get to ask for a horse like this." (AFP)
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