Aidan O’Brien, fresh from saddling his 11th Oaks winner the day before, matched the feat with his 11th Derby winner as Lambourn made all, grinding down his rivals and recording a convincing success at Epsom.
Lambourn was the least fancied of O’Brien’s three runners and it appeared that he may be the sacrificial lamb preparing the pace for the other two as jockey Wayne Lordan pushed him out after leaving the stalls to take an early lead.
In contrast Ryan Moore on favourite Delacroix found himself shuffled back a little towards the rear but Lordan was clearly intent on setting a searching gallop and Lambourn strode out powerfully, leading the field into Tattenham Corner while stablemates, favourite Delacroix and The Lion In Winter, were already starting to come under pressure.
Pegging back the leader was something that had been difficult during the meeting and at this stage three of those in the first four places would maintain that position until the line.
Up the straight it never really looked like any of the rest would be able to challenge the leader and at the line Lambourn had just under four lengths to spare over the outsider Lazy Griff. That pair had finished 1-2 in the same order just a few weeks earlier in the Chester Vase, a traditional Derby Trial won in the past by Derby winners Shergar, Henbit and the O’Brien-trained Ruler Of The World.
O’Brien was in relaxed mood after the race, telling the assembled media in the post-race conference that he’d heard that the ‘talk’ among the staff while doing evening stables was that jockey Lordan was very keen to ride Lambourn in the Derby so when Moore was jocked up on Delacroix deciding who should take the mount on Lambourn was easy.
42-year-old Lordan, who came back from being side-lined with a serious injury earlier in the year, was fulsome in his praise for the horse, “When I got a flick into him passing the two he went forward and I knew that if I gave him another one he’d go forward again. He was still galloping strong in that last furlong.”
Trainer O’Brien was keen to emphasise the teamwork behind the win but singled out Lordan’s contribution, “He knew exactly what this horse was and what he was capable of doing and the word in our place was that Wayne wanted to ride the filly [his Oaks mount] and him [Lambourn].
“Wayne is a massive part of the team. He’s there every day and it’s a privilege for us to have a man like him. He’s so straightforward and never offends anybody, but he’s ruthless when he has to be.”
Home-bred by Coolmore, Lambourn joins a small band of horses who have won the Derby having been sired by a Derby winner (Australia) who had himself been sired by a Derby winner (Galileo). The last to do so was Slip Anchor 40 years ago.
O’Brien suggested that the Irish Derby may be next on the agenda for Lambourn, a race for which bookmakers Paddy Power quoted him the 4/5 favourite.
