Lazy Griff aiming to be Marathon man at Sandown

Charlie Johnston continues to be on a fact-finding mission over the optimal distance for Lazy Griff ahead of the Coral Marathon at Sandown on Friday.

The four-year-old had been off the track for almost a year before he stepped up in trip to two miles for his reappearance in the Henry II Stakes.

The Protectionist colt did not disgrace himself as he was a two-length third behind Dubai Future, rallying well in race not run to suit.

Johnston is keen to have another look at Lazy Griff over two miles before mapping out a plan for the rest of the season.

Johnston said: “We had plenty of options, but this has been at the forefront of my mind since he made his reappearance.

“Obviously the ground looks like being on the quick side again, but I felt it had been well managed prior to his reappearance and I’m expecting similarish conditions on Friday which will be OK.

“There was maybe a little bit of frustration in the reappearance run in that it turned into such a messy race. We were going so slow and David (Probert, on Dubai Future) was clever to loop the field and steal the race essentially, so it didn’t feel we really learned enough about what is going to be his optimum distance this year.

“I felt the most likely path would be a Goodwood Cup and an Irish Leger, so as a result I felt this was the next obvious stepping stone to learn a bit more.

“He got caught for room when the race developed and it developed into a bit of a two-furlong sprint which for a horse coming back from a year off maybe wasn’t ideal, but I still thought he ran very respectably in the circumstances and I’d like to think he’ll build on that on Friday.

“It’s not out of the question that he would come back to a mile and a half at some point. Plan A at the moment involves him being campaigned between a mile and six and two miles, but until he’s run again who knows. That might change on Friday.”

Lazy Griff will face four rivals in Esher with Andrew Balding’s Furthur likely to provide the sternest test.

The field is completed by Ralph Beckett’s Lady Vivian, Paradias from Alan King’s yard and Michael Bell’s Duke Of Oxford.