Australia’s Lambourn Brings Up Ballydoyle Double In The Chester Vase

[Wandering Eyes]

Chester's May Festival is all about Ballydoyle these days and they were at it again on Wednesday's opening fixture with Lambourn bringing up a feature-race double in the G3 Chester Vase.

Like the yard's preceding Cheshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, the G3 Ballysax Stakes runner-up was well-supported and with Ryan Moore able to gain a prominent pitch behind the leading pair soon after the start the writing was already on the wall. In the end, it was the Charlie Johnston-trained G3 Prix de Conde winner Lazy Griff who had most to say about whether the 11-8 shot would keep the party going for favourite-backers but that game son of Protectionist could only do so much and had to lie down close home.

There was a 1 1/2-length margin between Ballydoyle's 11th Chester Vase winner and that 25-1 shot at the line, with the long-time leader Convergent two lengths away in third after a solid trial that demanded stamina on the well-watered ground.

Lambourn, who has the unusual distinction within his stable of being a winner of Craon's Listed Criterium de l'Ouest, showed plenty of lethargy on that occasion despite getting to the post first. That probably led to the decision to fit blinkers for the G2 Beresford Stakes, but that backfired as he was last of five before signing off. Evidently still highly rated by Aidan O'Brien, he was handed the chance to start the term with a clean slate in the Ballysax and travelled with more urgency there as he chased home Delacroix.

His movement through the initial stages of this contest from a wide draw which could have compromised him was also a marked improvement on his juvenile dallying and at this stage he is an improving type with stamina guaranteed for the Blue Riband.

Paul Smith was taking up his usual spot on Chester's Roodee and was basking in yet another Cheshire Oaks-Chester Vase double for the stable. “He's lazy in the way he runs and he's first off the bridle often and a little bit green, but he will learn a lot from today and he's got a big engine. Ryan likes him, he's a big, honest horse,” he said. “I think he's a good horse who will stay the trip, will do anything for you and he has to be in the Derby mix.”

Top class from Ryan Moore and Lambourn at @ChesterRaces! pic.twitter.com/ZQOzWeDIN0

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 7, 2025

Charlie Johnston said of runner-up, who traded at unfathomable odds, “It was a fantastic run, particularly given he missed a bit of work three weeks ago and it was touch and go whether we'd get here for a short while. I'm sure we can have him fitter than he was today, he was only about 80 per-cent fit, so that bodes well going forwards.”

“Joe [Fanning] said he appreciated the juice in the ground,” he added. “Any other week, I'd have been on the phone having a go about watering, but he needed it! We'd be a little bit hesitant about very fast ground going forwards, which might dictate where we go. He's in the English, Irish and German Derbies and you'll certainly see him in one.”

Pedigree Notes
Lambourn is the second foal out of the contrastingly-quick G2 Queen Mary Stakes runner-up and G2 Flying Childers Stakes third Gossamer Wings, who is a full-sister to the Stakes scorer Lavender Chrissie and half to the GIII Victory Ride Stakes winner Baby J by J Be K, as well as Bernstein's Stakes scorer and GI Secretariat Stakes-placed Laureate Conductor. The third dam Mighty Milk is kin to the GIII John B. Campbell Handicap scorer Hot Brush and the Summer Stakes winner Blazing Hot, in turn the second dam of the GII Super Derby hero Going Ballistic. Gossamer Wings' 2-year-old colt Action is by Frankel.

Wednesday, Chester, Britain
BOODLES CHESTER VASE STAKES-G3, £140,000, Chester, 5-7, 3yo, c/g, 12f 63yT, 2:40.12, gd.
1–LAMBOURN (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Australia (GB)
     1st Dam: Gossamer Wings (MGSP-Eng, SP-Ire), by Scat Daddy
     2nd Dam: Lavender Baby, by Rubiano
     3rd Dam: Mighty Milk, by Hero's Honor
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs John Magnier, Mr M. Tabor & Mr D. Smith; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £79,394. Lifetime Record: SW-Fr & GSP-Ire, 5-3-1-0, $169,547. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lazy Griff (Ger), 128, c, 3, Protectionist (Ger)–Linarda (Den), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire). (€75,000 Ylg '23 BBAGS). O-Middleham Park Racing & Mr G Griffiths; B-Gestut Westerberg; T-Charlie Johnston. £30,100.
3–Convergent (Ire), 128, c, 3, Fascinating Rock (Ire)–Monty's Miracle (Ire), by Shamardal.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Newtownanner Stud Farm; T-Karl Burke. £15,064.
Margins: 1HF, 2, 6HF. Odds: 1.38, 25.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Pinhole (GB), Furthur (Ire), Thrice (Ire), Faire La Nouba (Ire), Square D'Alboni (Fr).

 

The post Australia’s Lambourn Brings Up Ballydoyle Double In The Chester Vase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article