Serious Contender proves well named with Irish Derby effort

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.”

Charlie Johnston’s Lazy Griff has now finished behind Lambourn at Chester, Epsom and the Curragh but another clash could be on the cards in September at Doncaster.

“It wasn’t an easy watch, after half a mile I thought ‘we’re not winning, that’s for sure’ as he just couldn’t hold his pitch,” Johnston told Racing TV.

“He was getting bullied out of where he wanted to be by the Ballydoyle contingent and horses who were just travelling better than him so we ended up further back than we wanted.

“Even turning into the straight I thought we were treading water but then that last furlong when he met the rising ground he’s flown home.

“We were always concerned about the ground coming in to this meeting and clearly softer ground would have suited him better and another two furlongs is going to suit him so if the winner is going to the Leger we’re all ready for round four!

“It’s about time this horse started to get the credit he deserves, he’s been placed in two Derbys now, he’s been overlooked at every step so far but he keeps showing he belongs at this level and that is where he’ll be going forward.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Tennessee Stud, just like he had at Epsom, finished behind Lambourn and Lazy Griff back in fourth.

His jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle said: “It was a great run, he just got a little bit outpaced at the bottom of the straight but he came home well inside the last furlong and hit the line strong.”