As we edge ever closer to July, the 2025 flat campaign continues to tick off the noteworthy events. Focusing on the Classics, the English and Irish 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas are in the books, as are the Epsom duo of the Derby and the Oaks. However, in the Irish Derby and Oaks and the English and Irish St Legers, four Classic contests remain.
The first of these flagship events takes place at the Curragh on Sunday afternoon as the runners and riders’ line up for the 2025 Irish Derby. First run in 1866, the Irish Derby is 86 years younger than its Epsom counterpart but does its best to match the English equivalent in prestige and prize money.
With the clock ticking down to the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored event, 10 runners remain in contention for the €1.25m highlight of Irish Derby weekend.
Lambourn Leads O’Brien Quintet
With a phenomenal, record-setting total of 16 Irish Derby triumphs, the yard of Aidan O’Brien is the obvious first port of call when seeking the winner.
Five of the remaining contenders hail from O’Brien’s Ballydoyle base. Boasting strength in numbers, O’Brien may also hold the edge in class. Casting a significant shadow over the 2025 challengers is the red-hot favourite for the race, Epsom Derby hero Lambourn.
Having been put in his place in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes as a juvenile, Lambourn appeared to lie some way down the O’Brien pecking order heading into 2025. That remained the case following a runners-up effort to Delacroix at Leopardstown on his seasonal return. However, victory in the Chester Vase hinted at blossoming potential.
That promise bloomed spectacularly at Epsom. Under a controlled, aggressive ride from Wayne Lordan, Lambourn went from pillar to post to register a resounding Derby triumph by almost four lengths. His rivals may be wise to those trail-blazing tactics this time around, but will they be able to stop him? At a general price of 4/5, the odds suggest Lambourn has every chance of emulating his dual Derby-winning sire, Australia, to become the eighth horse to complete the English/Irish Derby double since 2000.
Also vying for a place on the team sheet are Lingfield Derby Trial winner, Puppet Master, King George V Stakes runner-up Serious Contender, Gallinule Stakes champ Thrice, and Shackelton, who finished fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. Whoever joins Lambourn in the final field, it seems safe to say Ryan Moore will opt to ride the Epsom king.
Tennessee to Turn the Tables?
If Lambourn – or any of the other Ballydoyle runners – fails to hit the target, the prize may still fall to a trainer with the surname O’Brien. Hailing from the yard of Joseph O’Brien, Tennessee Stud is the clear second favourite at a general 7/2.
Having upset his father’s Saxon Warrior when landing the 2018 edition with Latrobe, could Joseph repeat the trick seven years on? While Tennessee Stud has almost five lengths to find with Lambourn from Epsom, Dylan Brown McMonagle is unlikely to allow the market leader so much rope this time around.
Tennessee Stud’s Race Form
| Date | Race | Odds | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/6/25 | Epsom Derby | 28/1 | 3rd |
| 11/5/25 | Leopardstown Derby Trial | 7/1 | 3rd |
| 27/10/24 | Criterium de Saint-Cloud | 3/5 | 1st |
| 28/9/24 | Beresford Stakes (Curragh) | 9/1 | 2nd |
| 1/9/24 | Tipperary Maiden | 5/1 | 1st |
| 3/8/24 | Galway Maiden | 9/1 | 3rd |
Fans of the Wootton Bassett colt may also draw encouragement from the only clash between the pair at the Curragh. Tennessee Stud finished second in that Beresford Stakes contest, but that was three places and seven lengths ahead of Lambourn, who trailed home last of the five runners.
Green to Make Big Impact for Harrington
Considering her significant success on the big stage – both on the flat and over jumps – it is slightly surprising to note that Jessica Harrington has yet to win the Irish Derby. Perhaps that may change in 2025.
Green Impact represents the County Kildare operation and aims to provide owner Marc Chan with immediate Classic success as a breeder. Green Impact is, in fact, the very first horse bred by the man behind the silks sported by multiple Group 1 winner Kinross.
Green Impact fights off the Aidan O’Brien rivals to win the @KPMG_Ireland Champions Juvenile Stakes
— British Champions Day (@Champions_Day) September 14, 2024
Ending his juvenile campaign with a 2-0 record over Epsom Derby pre-race favourite Delacroix, Green Impact was set the task of landing the 2,000 Guineas on his seasonal return. He managed only sixth that day but looked all at sea in the Newmarket Dip. Stepping up in trip at this more conventional track, he may fare better on Sunday. At a general price of 15/2, he seems likely to be a popular each-way option.
British Runners
| Horse | Trainer | Epsom Derby Position |
|---|---|---|
| Pride Of Arras | Ralph Beckett | 17th |
| Lazy Griff | Charlie Johnston | 2nd |
| Sir Dinadan | Ralph Beckett | Did not run |
The final trio of entries all hail from British yards. Ralph Beckett has two among the remaining runners, headed by Dante Stakes winner Pride Of Arras. Well fancied to go well following that York success, Pride Of Arras trailed home seventeenth of the eighteen runners at Epsom, in a race where the Dante form took a battering. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be the first horse to bounce back from Epsom disappointment and is the shortest price of the British contenders at around 7/1. Sir Dinadan is the second Beckett entry but needs to step up markedly from a runners-up effort in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood.
If this prize is to fall to Britain for only the fourth time this century, the Richard Hannon-trained Lazy Griff may be the horse most likely to do it. Going in the colours of Middleham Park Racing, this son of Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist posted a huge career best at Epsom. Runner up behind Lambourn in the Chester Vase, he filled that same position on the big day – finishing a length ahead of Tennessee Stud, and over forty-five lengths in front of Pride Of Arras.
Will the 2025 Irish Derby follow the familiar script and fall to Aidan O’Brien once again? Can his son, Joseph, claim a second success as a trainer to match his two Irish Derby wins as a Jockey? Or will one of the raiding party cause a shock? This race is scheduled for 4:10 pm on Sunday.
