Lambourn completes English-Irish Derby double as Aidan O’Brien domination continues

Lambourn continued his equine family’s extraordinary classic dynasty and provided training genius Aidan O’Brien with a record-extending 17th win in the Irish Derby at The Curragh on Sunday.

Jockey Ryan Moore rides Lambourn to victory in the Irish Derby at Curragh Racecourse in Kildare, Ireland. Picture: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

Lambourn continued his equine family’s extraordinary classic dynasty and provided training genius Aidan O’Brien with a record-extending 17th win in the Irish Derby at The Curragh on Sunday.

O’Brien prepared a stable 1-2 with Lambourn, ridden by Ryan Moore, holding off Serious Contender to win by three-quarters of a length.

The Irish Derby wasn’t a repeat of Lambourn’s virtuoso effort at Epsom when he led throughout to win the English Derby by more than four lengths but he was convincing nonetheless, responding when challenged by his stablemate before drawing clear to score by a comfortable margin.

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O’Brien’s training record in the Irish Derby is simply superb while Moore became the first jockey to claim the classic three years in succession after he won on Auguste Rodin (2023) and Los Angeles (2024).

“Lambourn is just a very relaxed horse and was only doing the minimum with what he could get away with,’’ Moore told Irish media.

“He stays well, is straight forward and is typical of his sire (Australia) and how Aidan trains them. He’ll keep getting them to progress, to be consistent and he’ll keep running big races all year.’’

He's done it again!

Epsom hero 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍 wins the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby 💫💫 pic.twitter.com/0HE3oa1r23

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 29, 2025

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Lambourn became the 20th horse to complete the English-Irish Derby double but even more significantly he now joins his sire, Australia (2014) and grandsire Galileo (2001) as winners of both prestigious three-year-old races.

“Ryan was going to be happy if someone came with him as that keeps him focused,’’ O’Brien said.

“He’s a little bit laid back, a little bit lazy, and you could see up the straight he was waiting all the time but that’s him.’’

O’Brien has indicated Lambourn could take on older horses later in the season in either the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot later in July or the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

Originally published as Lambourn completes English-Irish Derby double as Aidan O’Brien domination continues