Charlie Johnston has pinpointed the Goodwood Cup as the next target for Lazy Griff, who returned to the winners enclosure earlier this month.
The Protectionist colt looked to have some star quality about him when winning the Prix de Conde as a juvenile. Though 0-3 as a three-year-old, he split Lambourn and Convergent in the Chester Vase on seasonal debut.
He then placed in both the English and Irish Derby, before injury blighted the remainder of his campaign. Lazy Griff returned with a third in the Henry II Stakes, marking himself as a promising stayer in the making. He belatedly returned to the winners enclosure next time out, taking the Esher Stakes in good style.
Subsequently, Charlie Johnston remarked he’d prefer to keep him away from a firmer surface due to his prior injury. However, with the race falling on the opening day and the best ground, he’s likely to take his chance.
Charlie Johnston out to emulate the great Double Trigger
Charlie Johnston told the Press Association, via Racing TV: “He’s come out of Sandown really well and I couldn’t be happier. Touch wood at the moment he is taking his racing well.
“I’m sure we’ll be looking closely at the Goodwood Cup. My confidence is helped by the fact it is on the first day of the meeting. Historically they would tend to try to start the week on good groun. In the knowledge that if the weather is warm and they started on good to firm they would struggle to hold it all week.
“Last year it was good at best on the Tuesday and that would be helpful to us.”
Charlie Johnston was only five years old when his father Mark won his first Goodwood Cup in 1995. Double Trigger won three for the yard, followed by Royal Rebel in the millennium and Darasim in 2004.
Lazy Griff has proved he has the stamina for the trip, but his participation largely hinges on the going.
“As I said after Sandown it is not a case that he can’t handle quick ground. It is just with his knee. The more often we run him on very fast conditions we are probably shortening our overall career span. We would like to avoid it as best we can.
“I think if conditions are suitable we would look to go to Goodwood en route to the Irish St Leger.”