Lambourn extended Aidan O’Brien’s stellar record in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, as he became the 20th horse to follow up Epsom success at the Curragh with a battling victory over stablemate Serious Contender.
Sent off the 8-13 favourite to repeat his Epsom triumph, Ryan Moore tried to replicate Wayne Lordan’s inspired front-running ride on the Surrey Downs, but met stern resistance from Ralph Beckett’s second-string Sir Dinadan who refused to let Lambourn get his own way in front.
Moore stoked up the Epsom hero rounding the home turn and although Sir Dinadan’s challenge began to wilt, it was Ballydoyle stablemate and King George V Stakes runner-up Serious Contender in the hands of Gavin Ryan who loomed large looking a huge threat.
The Ballydoyle pair began to duel inside the final furlong, but Lambourn proved a willing ally for Moore as his stamina and Classic quality came to the fore to win by three-quarters of a length and earn a place in the history books alongside his sire Australia and grand-sire Galileo who also did the Anglo-Irish Derby double.
Serious Contender finished second at 28-1, with Charlie Johnston’s Epsom runner-up Lazy Griff staying on strongly for third at 14-1.
"He's a very straightforward horse that gets the trip well," said O'Brien.
"Ryan was going to be happy if someone came with him as that keeps him focused. He's a little bit laid-back, a little bit lazy and you could see up the straight he was waiting all the time but that's him. Ryan gave him a lovely ride.
"Ryan thought he would keep pulling out and he was pricking his ears all the way. "He could be a King George horse, he could be an Arc horse. He gets the trip well and is very sound and very genuine.
"We minded the second horse for a handicap in Ascot that we thought he couldn't get beat and then a horse came and beat us that was entered in the King George so it just goes to show what can happen."
Gavin Ryan came close to breaking his Classic duck on Serious Contender, who gave odds-on favourite and stablemate Lambourn a real fright in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.
Second in a handicap at Royal Ascot, Serious Contender was sent off a relatively unconsidered 28-1 chance but gave his 8-13 stable companion plenty to think about.
Having had to work hard to see off the Ralph Beckett second string Sir Dinadan, Lambourn and Ryan Moore might have felt they had done enough but Serious Contender made them pull out all the stops, eventually going down by just three-quarters of a length.
“He’s a lovely horse, a big laid-back type and he was coming off it (bridle) a long way out, the more you ask the more he gives you,” said Ryan.
“He’s a big, tough, genuine type and it was a lovely run.”
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