Chester Wednesday

Boodles Chester Vase (Group 3)

THE story was a familiar one in the Group 3 Chester Vase, with the well-supported 11/8 favourite Lambourn winning for O’Brien, Moore and the Coolmore partners, this time scoring by a length and a half from outsider Lazy Griff (Charlie Johnson/Joe Fanning), with the pace-setting Convergent (Karl Burke/Sam James) filling third, two lengths further back.

The front three held those positions through the majority of the race and the further they went, the better Lambourn was, needing to be pushed along before the turn for home as the front pair threatened to get loose, but finding plenty for pressure to wear them down in the straight.

He was runner-up to Delacroix in the Ballysax at Leopardstown on his return, seeming to find 10 furlongs too sharp, but relished the longer trip here, and should progress further as his stamina is drawn out. The Derby is a realistic option, for all a stiffer test at the trip may suit better on this evidence.

Ryan Moore was complimentary about his mount, saying: “It’s the first time I’ve ridden him in a race and he’s still learning a little about the job, but is a relaxed horse who stays well and finds plenty off the bridle.”

MINNIE Hauk (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) kicked off an excellent week for Coolmore at Chester with victory at odds of 13/8 in the Weatherbys ePassport Cheshire Oaks, a ninth success in the listed contest for the winning trainer. Ryan Moore allowed Queen Of Thieves to lead him in the first half of the race before asking the daughter of Frankel to press on entering the straight, pursued by Secret Of Love (Andrew Balding/David Probert), who kept on willingly, but couldn’t erode the deficit and finished second, a length behind the winner.

Moore, speaking on ITV Racing, said: “I was very impressed with everything she’s done there. It was her first run of the year, and she only had the two runs late on last year.

“She was drawn wide, showed good speed to get a position and relaxed.

“She did everything nice and smoothly, was a bit green at first and I probably got there a bit too early, but she showed a very good attitude in the straight. She’s an uncomplicated filly with plenty of ability.”

Chester Thursday

ILLINOIS justified 6/5 favouritism in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Big-Value You Can Bet On Ormonde Stakes to complete a clean sweep for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore in the blacktype races on the first two days of Chester’s May meeting.

Al Qareem (Karl Burke/Sam James) made the running at an honest gallop but left a gap on the rail which Moore was delighted to take on the home turn, and although the runner-up rallied well late in the day, and Absurde (Willie Mullins/William Buick) produced his own late surge, Illinois held on comfortably to record victory by a length and a quarter and half a length.

Once again, the winning trainer was setting records, and this seventh win in the Ormonde means he has now passed Sir Michael Stoute to become the most successful trainer in the Group 3 contest. The winner probably idled a bit when getting to the front, but he was also carrying some condition for this return, and is sure to improve for the outing, making him look an exciting prospect for the summer, with fast ground suiting him well.

“He’s a very good horse,” said a typically understated Ryan Moore. “He didn’t do anything wrong last year. He was second in the Leger, won at Royal Ascot, and won on Arc day.

“He’s a very consistent horse. He’s a huge, big beast and very powerful. The ground was probably just a notch slower than ideal for him, but he’s won with a penalty there and the well-run race has suited him. He’ll definitely improve for the run.”

AIDAN O’Brien scored a remarkable 12th win in the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester on Thursday when Mount Kilimanjaro (Ryan Moore), swept to victory with a strong late run up the centre of the track to deny market rival High Stock (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) by a neck.

The pace was set by Great David and, in contest to his winning rides on Wednesday, Moore was content to settle the evens favourite at the back of the field, and he appeared to have plenty to do on the home turn, but once switched wide, he devoured the ground and won with a little to spare, despite the narrow margin of victory.

Moore and O’Brien have now combined to win seven of the last eight runnings of the Dee Stakes, and this success takes O’Brien past Barry Hills as the most successful trainer in Dee Stakes history. Mount Kilimanjaro was runner-up to Twain in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on his final start at two and bounced right back to form having been beaten at skinny odds on his reappearance at Dundalk in March.

He gave the impression here that he would cope well with an extra couple of furlongs and adds another string to the Ballydoyle Epsom bow.

Moore said: “The pace was on early, everyone wanted to be handy, and I ended up caught back behind a couple of horses I didn’t really want to follow.

“The second horse has had a charmed run around the inside, and I’ve had to bide my time a little bit, but when I put him in the clear he picked up well.