AIDAN O’Brien’s Idaho, a battle-hardened traveller, ran out a convincing winner of the Group 3 Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes on Thursday.

Sweating quite profusely, he settled for Ryan Moore and made his move on the inside as longtime leader Muntahaa started to give way.

Once in front he readily asserted to pull more than three lengths clear of Danehill Kodiac at the line with Elidor taking third.

The 8/11 favourite here, Idaho has always kept the very best company and finished third behind Harzand in the 2016 Epsom Derby.

He won the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot last year and was far from disgraced in the Arc, finishing eighth.

He managed only sixth behind stable-companion Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom but that was his seasonal reappearance and there might well be some improvement this time. However, he stayed the longer trip of a mile and five furlongs plus this week.

STAYED

“Yes, we came here with a view to going back to the Coronation Cup and the King George but Ryan was happy with how well he stayed and we could look at another plan if needed,” O’Brien said.

That probably means the Ascot Gold Cup, where Idaho would be a fascinating contender.

He would certainly not fail through lack of sheer grit.

ROSTROPOVICH CLEAR

The Ballydoyle maestro often farms the prestigious prizes at this meeting and 5/2 favourite Rostropovich won the Listed Homeserve Dee Stakes under a similar ride.

Taking his time on the inside, Moore asked Rostropovich for his effort before the furlong marker and sent him past market rival My Lord And Master to score by nearly four lengths. King’s Proctor finished third but the winner was much too good for this field and stayed 10 and a half furlongs well.

“You couldn’t ask him to do much more, really,” O’Brien said. “He relaxed lovely and we always thought that when he stepped up in trip it would suit him.”

Moore made the point that this was the first time for a while that Rostropovich had run on ‘nice’ ground, as opposed to soft or heavy. His previous outing came in the Prix de Fontainebleau, a Guineas trial at Longchamp, where he was far from disgraced, though unplaced.

O’Brien thinks everything through in fine detail, so the Prix du Jockey-Club may be on his mind.

“I’m never against running a lot of horses, that’s what they’re born, bred and reared to do.”

Ladbrokes offer 10/1 about his chances in that, with several firms going 20/1 about him for Epsom.

Barry Hills always liked winning races here and so does his son Charlie. The latter has a very fast horse in A Momentofmadness, who appreciated better ground in the opening Gately PLC Handicap and justified 11/4 favouritism, holding Powerallied by a length with last year’s winner El Astronaute in third.

No doubt the winner will take his chance in the Dash at Epsom on Derby day.