18 hours ago
Johnston can afford to dream of what might be to come with Lazy Griff
Charlie Johnston is dreaming of the rest of the season with Lazy Griff, after the 50-1 shot chased home Lambourn in the Betfred Derby.
It was the second time this year the Middleham Park Racing-owned colt has found Aidan O'Brien's new mile-and-a-half star too strong, as the same two horses filled the same positions in the Chester Vase last month.
Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Lazy Griff – who got off the mark at the third time of asking as a two-year-old at Beverley – cruised around Tatttenham Corner and while his large army of owners will no doubt have been briefly thinking they were about to hit the jackpot, the winner was going away again at the line.
Should he head to the Irish Derby next it would likely mean round three with Lambourn, but Johnston also raised the possibility of a return to France for the Grand Prix de Paris. Lazy Griff won a Group Three at Chantilly last year.
'We told as many people as would listen we couldn't understand why he was such a huge price. Lambourn was 13-2 yet this morning we were 100-1! It's safe to say the Chester form held up well,' said Johnston.
'I'm delighted, I'm surprised how well he handled the track because that was always my biggest concern because he's quite a heavy-topped horse and we felt if the ground wasn't as soft as it was he wouldn't be here.
'I said after Chester that Doncaster (St Leger) would be his place, but to run so well leaves us dreaming about the rest of the year.
'I would say it will be the Irish Derby or the Grand Prix de Paris. The Irish Derby would mean going into the lion's den I suppose, but it will be one or the other I would say.'
Soumillon partnered Lazy Griff at Chantilly and did not need to be asked twice to ride him in the Derby.
'What a race and I was travelling so well, the whole race I was travelling so well and I was just cruising down the hill,' said Soumillon, who has still to win the premier Classic.
'This kind of track suits him and when I came downhill I was talking Mickael (Barzalona, on Midak) that there was nobody able to follow us, we were cruising. I thought at that point I would be able to win the race two furlongs out, then I took my time to come out, which I don't think was the best option.
'I maybe should have stayed on the rail, but the horse in front was so lazy in the turn I thought he would stop at a point, but he never gave up and went to the end. Rounding the bend I thought 'now I go and we will see' and for two furlongs I thought we will get the winner, but in the end he was too strong.
'I'm so proud of my horse. It's a great run and it's the same form as the Chester Vase. I was very surprised when I saw the odds in the paper this morning at the airport. I thought how can I be so high? For me it was a nice horse with a decent chance and finally he proved it today on the track.
'He would be able to make the German Derby, but I just spoke to the trainer who was asking me if he could go in the St Leger. I think that can also be an option, he stays really well. We'll just see how he comes back from this race.'
He added: 'When my agent called me to say I could ride this horse I said 'let's go' straight away. I loved him last year and he did everything I asked. Mr Johnston's horses are really tough and that's what you need and this really feels like a winner to me. I'm so proud of the horse. It's a great result.'
Joseph O'Brien was watching his father win the race for an 11th time, but the man who rode two of them, Camelot and Australia (the sire of Lambourn), was close to his own piece of history by saddling Tennessee Stud to finish third.
He said: 'I'm very proud of him, it was a serious run and he came home strongly. I'm so pleased for the owners, it's very good to be placed in the Derby and he's an unexposed type from whom there should be plenty more to come.'
