Lazy Griff returns to France

Lazy Griff is set for a return to France at Group One level following a strong victory at Chantilly on Saturday.

Trained by Charlie Johnston and owned by Middleham Park Racing, the two-year-old has been steadily building his record, with his only previous win coming in a minor event at Beverley. After finishing third in a Listed race at Deauville in August, he raced in the Group Three Prix de Conde under Christophe Soumillon, where he led from the start and held off the fast-finishing runner-up to win by a neck.

"We had this race in mind since his good run in Deauville," said Mike Prince of Middleham Park. "We anticipated improvement with the step up to nine furlongs. He’s stoutly bred and has turned out to be more precocious than we expected; we initially thought he’d shine later in the season, but he started showing promise earlier this year."

Prince explained that they wanted Soumillon to make the race a test of stamina, which is why he pushed on earlier than usual. "It was comfortable at the end. The second horse was closing, but Super Soumi had them covered."

The next target is the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, a Group One race over 10 furlongs scheduled for late October, which Johnston won in 2022 with Dubai Mile. "The plan is to go to the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud on October 27. He’s travelled well in France before, so we’re confident about that."

Prince added, "The ground might be heavier then, but being German-bred, he handled well to soft ground on his debut at Doncaster, so we’re not overly concerned. He has the potential to develop further as a three-year-old."