Sir Lamorak and Ryan Moore© Photo Healy Racing
Sir Lamorak (9/4f) won Leopardstown's Leopardstown Handicap today in the manner of a Group-horse-in-a-handicap as he provided Champion Trainer Aidan O'Brien and UK-based stable jockey Ryan Moore with doubles.
The son of Camelot won a Dundalk maiden on March 26 and today, rated 85, was held up off pace by Moore as stablemate San Martino set a strong pace.
Sir Lamorak, a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, briefly looked hopelessly detached with three furlongs to race but quickened well and despite edging left in the final furlong, beat runner-up Bear Story easily by 3.75L.
Ageing star stallion Galileo is now 23 and following Sir Lamorak's win, trainer O'Brien plugged another of Coolmore's stallions, saying “he (Sir Lamorak) settles well and is a real Camelot — he has that bit of brilliance that he can quicken.”
He added “we’re delighted with him. He had a few lovely runs last year and then in Dundalk this year it was a very slowly run race and he was green. He had a nice gap from there to here and it worked out perfect for him.
“He’ll probably step up into one of the Trials next I would imagine.”
O'Brien and Moore had earlier won the Ballysax Stakes with Bolshoi Ballet
Quotes from Alan Magee