Lazy Griff team waiting on St Leger jockey plans

Owners Middleham Park Racing will have to play the waiting game before firming up jockey plans for Betfred St Leger chance Lazy Griff, with hopes William Buick might be available to ride at Doncaster.

Christophe Soumillon rode Charlie Johnston’s star three-year-old to win a French Group Three last year and was also aboard when he finished second in the Derby at Epsom, but with Ryan Moore sidelined by a leg injury, the Belgian jockey has been called up by Aidan O’Brien for the Irish Champions Festival on the same weekend.

Two-time champion jockey Buick partnered Lazy Griff when he finished third in the Irish Derby last time out, but on what will be a hectic weekend on the racing calendar in Ireland, Canada and the UK, Middleham Park’s Mike Prince admitted jockey plans will not be firmly in place until at least six days before the final Classic of the season.

“Obviously Christophe was going to ride, but he’s now going over to Ireland to ride for Aidan,” Prince said.

“We are just waiting really because it’s Irish Champions Weekend, there’s racing in Canada as well with Woodbine, so we are just waiting on some clarity on which jockeys are where.

“William, who rode him in the Irish Derby, obviously will have to see where Charlie Appleby is going and what he wants him to ride, so we aren’t going to know until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

“So we have to sit on our hands a little bit and see who is where, really. It’s a shame because there is top-quality racing all around the world on the same weekend. It’s a bit tricky. Come Monday or Tuesday, we will have a plan in place.”

Lazy Griff has placed in all of his three starts this season, with O’Brien’s Lambourn winning each Group contest.

The first of those came in the Chester Vase in May, a performance which led to Johnston setting out a plan for Doncaster and a possible fourth contest of the campaign between the classy three-year-olds.

“He’s had a nice rest since the Irish Derby and Charlie has been building him up nicely, he’s due to do his last piece of work on Saturday and then it’s all systems go for Doncaster,” Prince added.

“We thought we had a nice horse going into the season and then he obviously showed up well at Chester, but he’s run in the Derby and the Irish Derby – they were just both excellent performances.

“He had an excellent season so far and it is by no means over as yet.

“He’s by Protectionist – a Melbourne Cup winner – and the way he finished off in the Irish Derby, he was in his best work in those last couple of furlongs.

“This is the race that Charlie has had in mind for him since Chester really, so I think a step up in trip will suit him nicely and this spell of wet weather as well. Charlie’s gone on record saying that he doesn’t really want to run him on fast ground, but I don’t think he will encounter that at Doncaster now.

“The more rain the merrier, not that he wants it heavy, but the soft side of good and he’s got a good turn of foot and a bit of juice in the ground will suit him to a tee.”