Lazy Griff team hoping to secure Soumillon’s Derby services

Middleham Park Racing are preparing to take on the Galacticos of racing with Lazy in the Betfred Derby, where they also hope to help achieve his long-held Epsom dream.

Trained by Charlie Johnston, Lazy Griff heads to the Downs on the back of a fine effort when second to Aidan O’Brien’s Lambourn in the Chester Vase, a performance that gives connections belief their colt can defy some bookmakers’ long-odds of 100-1.

“He ran really well at Chester and wasn’t fully spot on for that and wasn’t too far behind Lambourn, so we’re expecting him to improve fitness wise,” said Middleham Park’s Mike Prince.

“Lambourn is around a 12-1 chance and we know our lad is a guaranteed stayer and there will be a few in the field who are not, so he definitely warrants being in the race, that’s for sure.

“We do need it to rain a little bit and he’s a German bred and would need a little cut. Good ground is fine but if it was good to firm, we would then have to take a view. There is some rain around and we’ll certainly declare and then hopefully the rain arrives.”

In comparison to those towards the head of the betting like Ruling Court who cost Godolphin €2.3million and Ballydoyle candidate The Lion In Winter who was a €375,000 purchase, Lazy Griff was a relative bargain from Baden-Baden’s BBAG September Yearling sale in 2023 at €75,000.

Prince continued: “It’s very hard to compete at middle distances against the big owner-breeder conglomerates and we don’t actually buy that many horses of that mould for that reason.

“We do try to just buy one or two horses each year that we hope would give us a chance and through bloodstock agent Jeremy Brummitt, that has come off this year.

“It’s lovely to be there mixing it and he will be plenty long enough in the market. But we know he’ll stay and there will be a few who won’t, so it would be great to see him run well.”

Lazy Griff was ridden by the aforementioned Soumillon when scooping Group Three honours in the Prix de Conde as a juvenile and the Belgian pilot – who has made no secret of his desire to one day land Epsom’s showpiece event – is now pencilled in to ride having taken a shine to the son of Protectionist at Chantilly.

“Christophe said when he won the Group Three that he loved the horse, he gave him a good feel and he’d love to ride him again,” added Prince. “It made sense to try to book a jockey of that pedigree for the ride.”