Charlie Johnston taking patient approach with Lazy Griff

Charlie Johnston is trying not to get too far ahead of himself as he prepares Lazy Griff to make his comeback.

The Middleham Park Racing-owned colt picked up the silver medal behind Aidan O’Brien’s Lambourn in the Chester Vase, the Derby at Epsom and the Irish Derby last season, but Johnston always had the St Leger as his primary objective.

He was then forced to miss the season’s final Classic at Doncaster at the 11th hour with a knee problem, but a return in May seems likely, with Chester’s Ormonde Stakes and the Yorkshire Cup in the mix.

“Lazy Griff is good, every day that passes without incident is a relief,” said Johnston.

“He’s been cantering now for probably six weeks. I’ve tried not to get too far ahead of myself in pinning down a target and I’m just taking each week as it comes.

“I entered him in the Yorkshire Cup, the Ormonde at Chester is a few days before that, that’s the sort of timeline I’m working towards, but I’m taking each week as it comes.

“I stood in the paddock at Chester in May and said the St Leger was D-Day for him, so to then finish placed in two Derbys along the way and run out of road at the wrong time was a sickener.

“He had a screw in that knee in September and has been given all the time we possibly could to bring him back, so hopefully it pays off.”