Aidan O'Brien Derby winner suffers shock defeat putting St Leger campaign in doubt
Aidan O'Brien's Derby winner suffered a shock defeat at York throwing his St Leger campaign into doubt. Lambourn came into the Great Voltigeur Stakes with an unbeaten record over 1m4f, winning the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby.
He was the 4-5 favourite for the recognised trial for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next month, and 3-1 second favourite for the season's final Classic. O'Brien saddled four of the seven runners in the field but though the Ballydoyle trio of Thrice, Lambourn and Stay True were the 1-2-3 entering the straight, none finished in the first three.
Lambourn led over 2f out but he was unable to sustain his effort as Pride Of Arras, winner of the Dante at York in May, swept through to score by a length. Carmers was second and Arabian Force a short head third. Lambourn was only fifth.
Pride Of Arras was beaten 50 lengths in the Derby and 20 lengths in the Irish Derby and was running for the first time as a gelding, which prevents him from running in the St Leger.
Scandinavia, another stablemate of Lambourn, is now 4-5 from Evens favourite for the Doncaster Classic with Lambourn now a 5-1 chance.
O'Brien said later: "Ryan said he felt like he got a little tired. We'll see how he is."
Winning jockey Rossa Ryan admitted the Derby defeats had "kind of dimmed" his belief in Pride Of Arras.
But he added: 'It was the wise approach to geld him. It's good to see him back on a level playing field so you can see what he can do. York might be the place for him but everything went so smoothly."
Winning trainer Ralph Beckett said: "He was back to his best, all good. I actually brought him here slightly underdone, having gelded him at the beginning of July, the week after the Irish Derby.
"It's seven weeks on, but I've only really done maintenance stuff with him – I haven't turned the screw with him – slightly because that seemed to suit him the last time we brought him here, and also because I wanted him to run well more than anything else.
'Really we came here with no expectation, but I think the track and the flat nature of York suits him really well. I wasn't at all happy with the way he moved in the first half-mile at the Curragh, which isn't exactly undulating anyway. He just wasn't enjoying himself that day any more than he was at Epsom. After that it was a very easy decision to geld him.
'He's never been difficult at home and it's not just the gelding (that's made the difference) as he suffers respiratory issues as well and that hasn't helped. It certainly wasn't helping in the spring and these things are never one specific thing, there's always layers.'
He added: 'I would be tempted to think about California (Breeders' Cup) and Hong Kong for him. I think the nature of those races will suit him really well.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Minnie Hauk at concert pitch for Yorkshire Oaks date
Aidan O'Brien's Frankel filly has been outstanding so far this season, collecting three successive Oaks titles starting with the Listed Cheshire contest, before adding Classic strikes in both the Epsom and Curragh editions. Now she turns her attention to the Knavesmire, with only three rivals opting to take her on in the mile-and-a-half Group One – including Ribblesdale-winning stablemate Garden Of Eden. 'This was always the obvious place to bring Minnie Hauk after the Curragh and she seems in good form since then,' said O'Brien. 'The trip and ground are perfect for her and since the Irish Oaks everything has gone well with her. 'Garden Of Eden won the Ribblesdale and then we sent her for the German Oaks but that didn't work out. 'She was drawn very badly and she just never really got into it, it never happened.' Ed Walker's Qilin Queen was eighth behind Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom, the only real blip in a consistent career thus far that includes a Group Two success in the Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp last time out. 'Qilin Queen is a lovely filly who has done nothing wrong in her career,' the trainer said. 'The Oaks was the only bad run in her career and I think you can put that down to the soft ground and she probably wasn't that happy on the track. 'However, on top of the ground she's really not put a foot wrong and we know she stays the trip well. 'She will have to step forward significantly to challenge this lot, but she's entitled to.' David O'Meara's Estrange is the other British-trained entrant, a striking grey who has won both starts this season when taking the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes and then the Lancashire Oaks. She steps up to the top level, although connections are prepared to make a late call on her participation on the Knavesmire, eager to ensure an easier surface for the four-year-old. 'We'll have a chat to connections tonight and see what they think,' said O'Meara at York on Wednesday. 'I walked it on Monday and I thought they had put plenty of water on and it felt good to soft. The (slow) times (today) could be a little bit of headwind affecting them as much as anything else but I thought they had watered very well.'
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Leopardstown option for Delacroix following York eclipse
The Ballydoyle runner bounced back from Derby disappointment to win a pulsating renewal of the Eclipse in early July, coming from an unpromising position to somehow grab victory from the jaws of defeat at the chief expense of Prince of Wales's Stakes victor Ombudsman in a Sandown thriller. The latter was the 7-4 favourite to gain his revenge in what turned out to be an even more fascinating affair on the Knavesmire, with Ombudsman's pacemaker Birr Castle slipping the field and building up a huge lead over the chasing pack. The big two eventually wore him down, but it was John and Thady Gosden's Ombudsman who was three and a half lengths clear at the line, with Delacroix only beating 150-1 shot Birr Castle to the runner-up spot by half a length. O'Brien said: 'It was just a mess really wasn't it? We had discussed before the race that if the pacemaker went and nobody followed him we would follow him, so obviously when they jumped out Ryan (Moore) thought they were going to follow the pacemaker but made the decision to sit in. 'Obviously when he sat in they just kept going slower and slower and slower and he was in a pocket and that was it, it was finished. It was over really as all they have done is sprint down the straight and the rest is history. 'Our horses usually like high-tempo races, but this was the way this time and John's horse won and it was what he wanted. He got the result and we didn't today.' Delacroix's defeat rounded off a disappointing day for O'Brien, having seen his dual Derby hero Lambourn finish only fifth in the preceding Great Voltigeur Stakes. He added: 'It happens every day of the week and it will happen again. Remember, you learn more from losing than winning. 'We learnt if he's well we will go back to Leopardstown with Delacroix and hopefully this won't happen again. 'This horse doesn't mind making the running and has won from the front, so he would be very happy doing that.' Andrew Balding's high-class mare See The Fire finished fourth, with Japanese raider Danon Decile – making his first appearance since beating last month's King George hero Calandagan in the Dubai Sheema Classic in April – ultimately disappointing in fifth. Trainer Shogo Yasuda said: 'We couldn't show his real ability, but this experience will be great for the future. I'm sorry we couldn't show his true ability. 'We may have got it wrong, but we got great support and we want to thank them for that. Especially James Horton (who has had the horse stabled at his yard) and many other people who were really important for helping us while we were here. 'It was really unfortunate we couldn't show himself at his best for everyone.' Last of all in sixth was Francis-Henri Graffard's previously unbeaten French challenger Daryz. There was some confusion as to whether the three-year-old's rider Mickael Barzalona had weighed in afterwards, prompting an objection from the clerk of the scales, but it was eventually confirmed he had and the result stood. Graffard said: 'He lacked experience during the race. He was racing strongly on the bridle and looking at everything. He picked up really nicely but then just got tired late on. 'We'll see how he comes back and make a plan.'
Leader Live
6 hours ago
- Leader Live
Minnie Hauk at concert pitch for Yorkshire Oaks date
Aidan O'Brien's Frankel filly has been outstanding so far this season, collecting three successive Oaks titles starting with the Listed Cheshire contest, before adding Classic strikes in both the Epsom and Curragh editions. Now she turns her attention to the Knavesmire, with only three rivals opting to take her on in the mile-and-a-half Group One – including Ribblesdale-winning stablemate Garden Of Eden. 'This was always the obvious place to bring Minnie Hauk after the Curragh and she seems in good form since then,' said O'Brien. 'The trip and ground are perfect for her and since the Irish Oaks everything has gone well with her. 'Garden Of Eden won the Ribblesdale and then we sent her for the German Oaks but that didn't work out. 'She was drawn very badly and she just never really got into it, it never happened.' Ed Walker's Qilin Queen was eighth behind Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom, the only real blip in a consistent career thus far that includes a Group Two success in the Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp last time out. 'Qilin Queen is a lovely filly who has done nothing wrong in her career,' the trainer said. 'The Oaks was the only bad run in her career and I think you can put that down to the soft ground and she probably wasn't that happy on the track. 'However, on top of the ground she's really not put a foot wrong and we know she stays the trip well. 'She will have to step forward significantly to challenge this lot, but she's entitled to.' David O'Meara's Estrange is the other British-trained entrant, a striking grey who has won both starts this season when taking the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes and then the Lancashire Oaks. She steps up to the top level, although connections are prepared to make a late call on her participation on the Knavesmire, eager to ensure an easier surface for the four-year-old. 'We'll have a chat to connections tonight and see what they think,' said O'Meara at York on Wednesday. 'I walked it on Monday and I thought they had put plenty of water on and it felt good to soft. The (slow) times (today) could be a little bit of headwind affecting them as much as anything else but I thought they had watered very well.'
