‘Donny is D-Day’ for Lazy Griff with German route an option

The emergence at the top table of the son of Protectionist has been one of the stories of the Flat season considering he’s owned by the Middleham Park syndicate, who have been going toe-to-toe with Aidan O’Brien’s Lambourn in the Derby and Irish Derby.

Runner-up at Epsom and then third at the Curragh, the three-year-old will have one last shot at Classic glory in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster in September.

Speaking on Luck On Sunday on Racing TV, Johnston has pinpointed the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in Germany in August as a possible stepping stone to Town Moor.

“It’s yet to be decided [the route to the St Leger],” Johnston said. “We could go straight there or we could go via the Preis von Berlin which sits nicely between Ireland and Doncaster.

“It’s a Group 1 and he’s shown he needs to be running in Group 1 races. People say run in the Gordon Stakes but I won’t let my love affair with Goodwood cloud my judgment that much.

“The ground will be a big factor. It was very apparent how much he was struggling with the ground at the Curragh. By God that horse is tough. Seven out he was in trouble and there aren’t many horses that would’ve finished the race like he did having been off the bridle the entire race.

“Donny is D-Day. Whichever route we’ll take it will all be about having him in the best possible condition for that day.”

Lazy Griff has been beaten by Lambourn three times this season and that rival is the 2/1 antepost favourite for the St Leger, but Johnston feels his horse is the one to beat in Doncaster.

He said: “I very much feel like I know where we stand with Lambourn. I try and stay level-headed but I feel good to soft ground at Doncaster in September, if we have the horse in the same form that he’s been in in the month of June, I think he’s the one to beat.

“For all that we’ve had a lot of winners over the last six weeks, it’s a horse like him that makes all the difference.

“I can feel that with the people you bump into on the racecourse, being seen to compete in these races is what makes the difference to someone in my position.

“The storyline that has come with it, he’s owned by a syndicate, he was relatively cheaply bought and he has taken all those people and me on a fantastic journey so far.

“Hopefully there’s a few big chapters still to write."

Lazy Griff is 7/1 with Sky Bet and Paddy Power to win the St Leger.

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