Lambourn still ‘definitely’ in the Voltigeur mix, says O’Brien

Aidan O’Brien is giving serious consideration to running his dual Derby winner Lambourn in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York next week.

The Australia colt emulated his sire by striking Classic gold at Epsom and the Curragh in June and is now ready to step up his preparations for a major autumn target.

For a long time another Classic bid in the St Leger at Doncaster seemed likely, but with stablemate Scandinavia throwing his hat into that particular ring with victory in the Goodwood Cup, Lambourn may instead be bound for Paris and a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

When asked whether Lambourn could step back to Group Two level on the Knavesmire, O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing: “He could, we’ve a lot of horses kind of ready for the Voltigeur, some are just about ready and some are probably not going to make it.

“Lambourn definitely could. We’ll see how he is and his next target then can be either the Leger or the Arc. I think the lads are thinking Scandinavia is going to be trained for the Leger now – if the ground was nice he would go there and Lambourn wouldn’t go there, but if it was the other way Lambourn would go there.

“Lambourn probably needs a race between now and the Leger or the Arc and it (Great Voltigeur) is a race that could suit him.

“He’s a straightforward, honest, no-nonsense horse. He does what he has to do and doesn’t do any more.”

Another Ballydoyle inmate with Arc aspirations is last year’s third Los Angeles, who made an excellent start to his campaign with successive wins at the Curragh but could finish only fifth as a hot favourite for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having since enjoyed a mid-season break, he is set to return to competitive action in the Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

“We were thinking he could go to the Royal Whip and go and improve a lot,” O’Brien added.

“He’s had a break since Ascot and we were thinking if he went to the Curragh this weekend he could go to the Prix Foy as an Arc trial or he could go to the Irish Champion Stakes as an Arc trial.

“All those things are open, but he’s just starting back and he’ll be running with no pressure win, lose or draw (this weekend). We’d just like to get a run into him to get him ready for the autumn.

“The Arc has been his target all the time. We tightened him up a bit too much in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and because of that he just had to have a little rest. He’s come back happy, but will progress a lot before the Arc.”

O’Brien also had news of Henri Matisse, last seen finishing third in the Sussex Stakes behind shock 150-1 winner Qirat.

O’Brien said: “He’ll go probably for the Prix du Moulin. Goodwood was a little bit of a disaster – it was really only a four-furlong dash in the second half of the race.

“It was one of those races that is hard to work out, but we were very happy with the run, Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him and we think he’s still progressing.

“We haven’t seen the best of him yet, we think.”