Sunday's Meetings Curragh Flat 9 Races 1:15-5:55p.m. Uttoxeter N/H 7 Races 1:30-4:57p.m. Cartmel N/H 7 Races 2:10-5:40p.m. Ffos Las Flat 7 Races 2:20-5:50p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Strange that the big Arabian breeding operations can't muster a single runner between them in the Irish Derby. Tactics clearly won the day for Lambourn at Epsom so it will be interesting to see whether he can confirm superiority on this very different track. Totally uninteresting as a betting heat though. Elsewhere on the card there are just the FIVE Premier Handicaps - a bit of an oxymoron surely? In the 13.50 I feel sorry for Urban Sprawl who is turned out again just 4 days after finishing 5th in a soft ground handicap at Carlisle in whiat will be his 16th race of 2025. That can't be good for a horse.
Must be interesting to see if the Dante form is really rubbish. The owners/trainer of Pride of Arras won the Ascot Derby with their gelding Amiloc. We don't know where he stands in the stable opposite PoA. They obviously like Amiloc as they are even talking of him as a King George possible. Is Lambourn another Serpentine, probably not but he could be. Was he more suited to the Epsom going than anyone else. So there's plenty of questions as you say.
As Charlie's father was foremost a vet before he became a trainer, I'd be surprised if he'd allow his son to overdo a horse. He's won 2 starts this year and his OR has gone from 79 to 85 this year so it doesn't seem to be having a deleterious effect on him. Besides, I think Urban Sprawl has just gone over to Ireland to keep his mate company.
Lambourn wins the Irish Derby in a time nearly 4 seconds under standard. Visually (without having seen the sectionals) he looked to repeat the dose of Epsom, setting a strong pace and keeping the gallop up right the way to the line. Lazy Griff and Tennesse Stud again confirmed their Epsom running but the big improver was Serious Contender (2nd to Merchant in the King George V Stakes last time off a mark of 92). I suppose Lambourn will be all the rage for the Leger after that, he looks a thorough stayer.
Time was exceptional... I did say a while back I think we will see Lambourn taking Yeats Gold Cup mantle...
Had the wights been out it would have been a good shout. But its going to go up at least 12... taking it to around 113... I suspect AOB will be after getting one back on the Melbourne Jockey Club for the mess with Jnn Brughel which they consider a certainly in the Melbourne Cup last year..
I thought the runner up would have won that with a stronger jockey. I would imagine if you WERE trying to let your rival win it would look like what we just witnessed. No doubt the handicapper will give the runner-up a huge rise in rating to explain things but I have my reservations about it and I reckon I can't recall a poorer Irish Derby in my lifetime. I had zero interest in today's race and I think the Classic already had question marks coming in. It's little more than a Ballydoyle benefit now and the Dante winner was stone last, not even able to beat any of a field largely composed of Handicapper. Not sure why Ruling Court couldn't have had a go. He couldn't have been much worse than his pathetic effort in the St James' Palace. Ultimately I expect Charlie Appleby to chicken out of The Eclipse and head to the Grand Prix De Paris with Ruling Court. He was recently hinting that they would choose his targets carefully, which is euphemistic language for sphincter implosion. If the handicapper takes Lambourn as having run to his rating of 120 he has to put Serious Contender up to more than 113. After all he's only 3/4 of a length behind the winner. He's also 2 and a quarter lengths ahead of Lazy Griff, who came in rated 114 and a neck further ahead of Tennessee Stud rated 112. One horse seems sure for drop in rating and that is Pride Of Arras. One honker at Epsom you could forgive but to be beaten by as many cols rated in the low hundreds makes his 114 rating look like it was compiled by JK Rowling.
Can't see Lambourn going for the Leger. You can see how they consider Leger winners in the way they are running Continuous this year. I think they'll try to turn him into a Connaught and get him to run the race out of 10f horses. I'd consider the 3rd a very likely Leger winner. There must be something very wrong with Pride of Arras. Though he didn't pull this time he ran no race. Probably got his own ideas about racing and he may be a gelding soon.
