Boodles Chester Vase |
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| Group 3, Chester 15:05 £140,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 4f 63y, Class 1  |
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1 Lambourn 11/8F
2 Lazy Griff 25/1
3 Convergent 9/2
8 ran Distances: 1½l, 2l, 6½l
Time: 2m 40.12s (slow by 4.52s)
Another Ballydoyle flyer!
— British Champions Day (@Champions_Day) May 7, 2025
Lambourn is much the best in the Chester Vase for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien 🥇@ChesterRaces | @itvracing pic.twitter.com/VNOwZiGNve
Ryan Moore had to roll up his sleeves aboard Lambourn, but the effort was well worth it as he steered Aidan O’Brien to a record-extending 11th victory in the race—and nudged another name into the ever-shifting Derby picture.
Sent off the 11-8 favourite, Lambourn—by Australia, and not short on pedigree—tracked the early tempo set by Lazy Griff and Convergent. But as the screw tightened turning in, the Ballydoyle colt found himself under the pump, with Moore going to work earlier than ideal.
No cruise-and-pounce here—this was all graft. Angled out rounding the home bend, Lambourn responded with the sort of honest, grinding gallop that tends to win trials rather than flatter in them. In the end, he pulled a length and a half clear, the winning margin doing little to reflect the work it took.
Bookmakers were quick to react—cutting him from 50-1 to 25-1 for the Betfred Derby on June 7. And judging by the reaction from Coolmore’s Paul Smith, hopes remain high despite a performance that raised as many questions as answers.
“He’s lazy, a little green, but has a big engine and will learn plenty from this,” said Smith. “Ryan likes him, and that says a lot. He’s an honest horse who’ll stay the trip and deserves his place in the Derby mix.”
But the message was clear—don’t read too much into any of these trials just yet.
“We won’t know what we have until they’re all run,” Smith added. “Then we can assess.”
For Charlie Johnston, the story was equally positive. Lazy Griff ran a stormer in second, especially given a minor setback that left the team unsure they’d even make it to the Roodee.
“He was only 80% fit,” Johnston admitted. “That effort bodes well. Joe (Fanning) said he loved the juice in the ground—any other week I’d be on the phone about watering, but not today!”
With entries in the English, Irish, and German Derbies, there are options—and expectations.
“He’s been beaten three times and ignored in the market, but he deserved to be second on ratings. The syndicate might be dreaming of Epsom—but I wouldn’t rule out a different Derby entirely.”
Boodles Chester Vase (Group 3)
£140,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 4f 63y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (7) Lambourn 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 11/8F
2 (4) 1½ Lazy Griff 3 9-2 Charlie Johnston Joe Fanning 25/1
3 (3) 2 Convergent 3 9-2 K R Burke Sam James 9/2
4 (1) 6½ Pinhole 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 9/2
5 (8) ½ Furthur 3 9-2 Andrew Balding Jason Watson 16/1
6 (2) 5 Thrice b 3 9-2 A P O'Brien William Buick 13/2
7 (6) hd Faire La Nouba 3 9-2 John F O'Neill Dougie Costello 250/1
8 (5) ¾ Square D'Alboni 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 15/2
