Aga Khan Studs don’t race a lot of geldings, but one that they do is Calandagan, who shook off his G1 bridesmaid tag winning the Group I Grand Prix de Saint Cloud in France, while in Ireland the Coolmore machine kept the winning run going to take out the Group I Irish Derby (1 ½ m).
Fresh from victory in the Group I Epsom Derby, Australia colt Lambourn made it a Derby double for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore when scoring a three-quarter length win over his progressive stablemate Serious Contender (Wootton Bassett) with Epsom Derby runner-up Lazy Griff in third place.
“He’s just so laid-back, I can't tell you. Ryan gave him a lovely, uncomplicated, straightforward ride,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“He has that personality, that attitude, it's like everything in life when sports people have that attitude and he's that straightforward, genuine and just does whatever you want for you, whenever he can. He's like his dad, if you put him in first gear, he stays in first gear; if you put him in third gear, he'll stay in third gear.
“He's not influenced by anything around him, but always wants to please and never overdo himself. He could be a King George or an Arc type of horse. The way he races, I'd imagine he'd race that way regardless of the trip. You'd imagine he'd get further but he has lots of class.”
Lambourn emulated the success of his sire Australia and grand-sire Galileo in winning both Derbies and has the overall record of five wins from seven starts.
A Coolmore homebred, Lambourn is the first winner from Group II placed Scat Daddy mare Gossamer Wings, a sibling to US Group III winner Baby J, stakes-winners Laureate Conductor and Lavender Chrissie as well as Childhood (USA), who has found her way to Australia. She is the dam of Group II ATC Sapphire Stakes winner Infancy, who ran sixth last Saturday in the Group I Tatts Tiara.
Childhood had a yearling colt by Graff sell at Inglis Classic this year for $90,000 to Tasman Bloodstock and after slipping to Bivouac she is now in foal to Tassort.
Lambourn is by Australia, who has had a hot run this year as he is also the sire of Group I winning filly Cercene and he stands at Coolmore in Ireland at a fee of €10,000.
Lambourn’s pedigree make up is not dissimilar to last year’s Epsom Derby winner City of Troy, who is by Scat Daddy’s champion son Justify from a daughter of Galileo, so both horses are a combination of the Irish (Galileo) and US (Scat Daddy) arms of the Coolmore stallion business.
Francis- Henri Graffard saddled two runners in the Group I Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (2400m) and while the Resolute Racing owned Goliath failed to produce his best to finish out of the placings, the race favourite Calandagan claimed a long awaited first G1 win.
An Aga Khan homebred by Coolmore’s Galileo stallion Gleneagles, Caldangan has been second in G1 races at his last four starts following a win at Royal Ascot last year in the Group II King Edward VII Stakes.
Mickael Barzelona made it look easy as Calandagan bolted clear to win by three and a half lengths taking his record to five wins and six placings from 11 starts.
“Calandagan is not ungenuine! The race went really well for him and I thought he was travelling much more into the rhythm of the race this time. Mickael said he still had to ask him to keep up sometimes during the race but then in the straight, when there is rhythm and he can follow the pace, he can really lengthen and quicken really strongly,” said his trainer.
“I thought he was really impressive there. After Epsom (G1 Coronation Cup)my first conclusion was that he needed the run against that horse (Jan Brueghel) on that ground. I thought he'd come on a lot for that and he's getting experience, while his jockey knows him better now. I will obviously discuss it [the King George] with connections but it seems sensible to go to Ascot, a place where he has won before.
“ I need to take him there at 100 per cent. I don't think ground is important to him but you could see there the way he really accelerated on that good going. He's won on very soft ground as well but I hope we get good ground and that I can get him in peak form for the end of July and go there with a real chance.”
Calandagan is the best of three winners from three foals to race from Group III placed Sinndar mare with third dam Clodovina, a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to Group I winner Clodovil.
Calandagan is the fifth Group I winner for Gleneagles who stands at Coolmore at a fee of €20,000.
