Matt Brocklebank couldn't help but feel Aidan O'Brien still has his big Derby cards up his sleeve following Thursday's trial at Chester.
There are moments during Epsom ‘trials season’ when you witness something emerge and just know that a star is born. Taghrooda’s Pretty Polly, Enable in the Cheshire Oaks and Desert Crown in the Dante at York all spring to mind from fairly recent seasons.
Thursday was no such day if truth be told, Minnie Hauk grinding out a one-length win in the Weatherbys ePassport Cheshire Oaks before her Ballydoyle stablemate Lambourn produced something remarkably similar in the Boodles Chester Vase Stakes half an hour later.
A length and a half was the official verdict over Charlie Johnston's Lazy Griff as Australia colt Lambourn opened his account for the season in the extended mile and a half Group 3, the 94-rated Convergent a further two lengths back in third after cutting out the early running.
It’s a race Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore know well, of course, the trainer having extended his record to 11 wins, Moore’s own tally now standing at eight, and they’ll know it’s a long way short of Derby-winning form.
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But in fairness to the horse, Lambourn could only beat what was in front of him on the day and, in a wider sense, he’s more than played his part in the story of the spring regarding this Classic crop.
The Chester win comes 38 days on from his two and a quarter-length second to Delacroix in Leopardstown’s Ballysax Stakes at the end of March. Delacroix, who was conceding 3lb to the runner-up that day, gets the opportunity to enhance his own reputation further in this Sunday’s Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes back at the scene of his comeback success.
24 hours earlier Stay True, Puppet Master, Acapulco Bay and Galveston could all fly the O’Brien flag in the William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes, while next week attention turns to what many believe is still by far and away the monster operation's number one hope in The Lion In Winter, who reportedly worked well on Wednesday morning and is set for his much-anticipated return to the fray in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes.
The colt that must not be forgotten in all of this is Criterium International winner Twain, who may still have a major part to play in the Classic narrative despite missing the 2000 Guineas owing to a setback.
Coolmore’s Paul Smith stated it is likely to be the Curragh and the Irish equivalent for the son of Wootton Bassett next, and there would still be time for a Derby conversation if all goes to plan there, with a fortnight between that race and Epsom.
Lambourn looks a relative bit-part player set in that sort of context and, once the dust has settled on Chester this week, perhaps a St Leger campaign – via something like the King Edward VII or the Great Voltigeur – will be set in motion from this point.
He looks a bit too short and - if anything - over-estimated in the market around 14/1 for the Betfred Derby in a month's time.
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