€80,000 Condé (Gr3): Lazy Griff works harder

Saturday, September 21, 2024, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). - Unbeaten before this €80,000 Prix de Condé (Gr3, 2yo, 9f) with two convincing wins, Shandana (Sea the Moon) never looked likely to win again and had to settle for 3rd place, four lengths behind the first two, a short head in front of Ponderado (Mastercraftsman), who finished with a flourish.

The British filly Lazy Griff (Protectionist), trained in Yorkshire by Charlie Johnston, led from the start and never weakened. In the end, Gezora (Amanzor), who was running for the 3rd time and trying to confirm her fine victory 25 days earlier over the same distance at Dieppe, finished a neck behind after waiting.

A winner at Beverley at the end of July after a good debut and a failure at the Royal Ascot meeting, Lazy Griff was coming off a 3rd place in the Critérium du Fonds Européen de l'Elevage (L) over one mile at Deauville, acquired after an uncompromising run in the front rank.

Lazy Griff was bred in Germany by Westerberg and sold for €75,000 at the Baden-Baden sales to Jeremy Brummitt. Her dam Linarda (Rock of Gibraltar) is Danish and she won four races in Switzerland. She is also the dam of Lambo (Protectionist), a 6-year-old winner of the Bavarian Classic (Gr3) and 3rd in the Hocquart (Gr2) behind Bubble Gift at Longchamp.