Aidan O’Brien was not too despondent after watching his double derby winner Lambourn Trail at home in fifth place in the Sky Bet Great Volieur in York.
A mild surprising winner at Epsom, he then doubled in the Curragh in the Irish equivalent and despite the fact that he was weighed around the weight to his rivals, he was sent the 4-5 favorite to confirm his position as the best mile and half foal of his generation.
Ryan Moore, however, was working hard from some way to the outside when the first Stablemate stay where a threat of threats was, before the Ballydoyle duo was flooded by Ralph Beckett’s Pride of Arras.
The winner had scored impressively in the Dante on the circuit in May, but finished well behind Lambourn at both Epsom and the Curragh and was then prevented.
O’Brien Field four in the two group and they filled the last four positions.
Lambourn is now 5-1 for the ST army with Coral while his stable accompanying Scandinavia paved to 4-5 favorite for the last classic.
“He became big, they went stable and he is lazy, I think it was a steadily runned race,” said O’Brien van Lambourn.
“They were all big. The reason we ran Lambourn here was so that he had the option of the army or the bow.
“I don’t think the laying trip will be a problem, we know that it stays good one and a half miles.
“Ryan (Moore) said he had the feeling that he was getting tired, but we will see what he is like.
“Stay true, ran a nice race, he always looked a nice horse for the army, so it seems that he will be happy to be.”
A horse that improved his reputation despite losing his undefeated record was the Paddy Twomey-Train Carmers, the vase winner of the Queen of Royal Ascot who dropped during the journey.
He was caught on flat feet when the pace accelerated before he stayed in second place, defeated a length.
“He may not get the race, but I think it was a very good test for the army,” said Twomey.
“I think he learned more today than in a race he won. It is a big run and back to the miles and six (furlongs) will suit him.
“I don’t think the soil makes any difference for him.”
#Aidan #OBrien #positive #VoliTeur #Defeat #Lambourn #races