Lambourn tops five for O'Brien in search of 17th Irish Derby victory
It’s only fitting that it’ll be an O’Brien-fest Sunday at The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is not only Europe’s top trainer but the record holder when it comes to the Irish Derby. The Irish native has won the race 16 times and he doesn’t just have one entrant on Sunday, he has five in the field of 10.
O’Brien’s 16 wins in the 1 1/2-mile race date back to 1997 and he won seven in a row from 2006-2012. More recently, he’s won back-to-back runnings and clearly has a major chance to keep that streak Sunday. So how do bettors decide which O’Brien runner to back? That’s easy - whoever jockey Ryan Moore rides. The go-to rider for O’Brien, Moore was aboard the mighty Auguste Rodin two years ago and Los Angeles last year in the Irish Derby. Sunday, he’ll switch onto the favorite Lambourn, winner of the Epsom Derby last out.
In the Epsom Derby, Lambourn had Wayne Lordan aboard when he led the field the whole way for an upset score. Moore was on the more fancied Delacroix, who finished ninth as the 2-1 favorite. While Lambourn is a winner of two straight, he’s not as highly rated as some of O’Brien’s Irish Derby winners. He’s certainly not a cinch and needs to prove his Epsom Derby win was no fluke. He’ll be around the 4-5 favorite to complete the Epsom Derby-Irish Derby double, something his sire Australia did in 2014 for O’Brien.
Lordan switches to Puppet Master for O’Brien Sunday, winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial last out, and he’ll need to improve to have a chance Sunday. Puppet Master is by O’Brien’s 2012 Irish Derby winner Camelot. Thrice, with Declan McDonogh to ride for O’Brien Sunday, was a Group 3 winner last out but couldn’t come close to Lambourn two back. Shackleton, also by Camelot, ran a solid fourth last out at Royal Ascot going 1 3/4 miles and Serious Contender, second in a 1 1/4-mile Ascot handicap last out, complete the O’Brien charge.
Of the non O’Brien-trained runners, Green Impact, trained by Jessica Harrington, is an interesting new face. Sixth by 6 1/2 lengths two back in the English 2,000 Guineas to Ruling Court, who got smoked by Field of Gold at Royal Ascot last week, Green Impact raced at one mile or less for the first four races of his career, winning two. Last out in a minor listed stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Leopardstown, he showed that he may want more than one mile. He’s certainly getting a class test here but unlike most of Sunday’s runners, he hasn’t lost to Lambourn - at least not yet.
Lazy Griff, trained by Charlie Johnston and ridden by William Buick, was second by 3 3/4 lengths to Lambourn in the Epsom Derby, albeit at odds of 50-1. Pride of Arras, trained by Ralph Beckett, was sent off at 4-1 in the Epsom Derby off the strength of wins in his first two career starts, including a Group 2 at York. However, he disappointed in the Epsom Derby, finishing 17th of 18. He’s clearly talented but needs to rebound. Rossa Ryan will ride for Beckett, who also has Sir Dinadan, who’s also by Camelot, Sunday with Richard Kingscote to ride. Beckett won this race in 2022 with Westover.
O’Brien’s son Joseph entered Tennessee Stud Sunday, with Dylan Browne McMonagle to ride. Tennessee Stud is a Group 1 winner, having won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France last October. Given that race was run on heavy going, he most likely wants softer ground than he’ll get Sunday.
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An avid horse racing fan and bettor, Michael Smith has developed a career in horse racing media as an editor and writer. A regular at Saratoga Race Course, Michael mainly covers New York racing but follows various other racing across the country and world.