Lambourn is odds-on to become the 20th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double at the end of this month.
Aidan O’Brien’s 11th Epsom Derby winner emerged unscathed from his ‘Blue Riband’ exploits on Saturday where Wayne Lordan made most of the running on the son of Australia.
Widely regarded beforehand as the outsider of O’Brien’s Derby trio, Lambourn dominated the biggest field for the race in over 20 years to catapult his name on to racing’s most coveted roll-of-honour.
On Sunday, O’Brien indicated the €1.25 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in three weeks will be next for the colt, who prior to Epsom had won the Chester Vase.
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“The lads [Coolmore ownership] will make that decision, and we’ll see what it looks like after he gets back cantering after a week or 10 days after that.
“It looks like he’s an Irish Derby horse, it looks like the Curragh would really suit him. He gallops and he stays, he’s very genuine. Then I suppose we’d see after that, it usually works itself out after that but that would look the obvious next step if everybody is happy with that, obviously,” O’Brien reported.
It opens another potential piece of history for Ireland’s champion trainer who a week ago also landed the Prix Du Jockey Club, the French Derby, with Camille Pissarro. Winning all three of Europe’s Derby prizes in the same season would be a landmark accomplishment.
The champion trainer’s current Classic dominance at Epsom was underlined on Friday with Minnie Hauk suppling an 11th Oaks into the bargain, while Jan Brueghel landed the Coronation Cup.
It emulated O’Brien’s 2012 hat-trick in the same trio of Group One races at Epsom.
Lambourn has been installed a 4-5 favourite with some firms to emulate Auguste Rodin two years ago and add Ireland’s premier Classic to his haul. Both his sire, and his grandsire, Galileo, managed the same feat. Camelot (2012) and High Chaparral (2002) also did it for O’Brien.
Joseph O’Brien filled third spot on Saturday with Tennessee Stud, who has been made an 8-1 shot with some firms to get the better of Lambourn at the Curragh.
O’Brien, who rode Camelot and Australia to their Derby doubles for his father, 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.”
Like the 2017 Derby hero Wings Of Eagles, Lambourn broke his maiden as a two-year-old in Killarney. However, he only won due to the wayward Green Triangle crashing out through the running rail in the closing stages when looking all over the winner.
Lambourn’s circuitous route to Epsom glory then took a rare turn as O’Brien sent him to the provincial track of Craon in northwest France for the Listed Criterium de l’Quest.
Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Lambourn’s lazy style resulted in a scrambling victory in front of a meagre audience. Ironically, Soumillon was on board Saturday’s runner-up, Lazy Griff.
Such a relatively undistinguished juvenile career has been transformed this season. Runner-up to Delacroix in the Ballysax at Leopardstown in March, Lambourn scored at Chester before confirming his mile-and-a-half credentials in the biggest prize of all.
Delacroix started favourite for the Derby but was unruly while being saddled and never figured before trailing home in ninth. The Lion In Winter could never land a blow and was 14th of the 18 runners.
O’Brien said on Sunday The Lion In Winter could be targeted at mile races in future with Delacroix dropping to a mile and a quarter.
Lazy Griff could try to make it third-time lucky in his personal rivalry with Lambourn by travelling to the Curragh and taking him on again.
“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,” his trainer Charlie Johnston said. “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.”
