SATURDAY was classic trials day at Lingfield, with the turf course getting a rare day in the spotlight.

The Listed William Hill Oaks Trial saw Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore continue the dominance they had shown at Chester, as Cameo scored in the extended mile-and-three-furlong contest.

The 10/3 shot had stablemate Bloom (Tom Marquand) back in third, as she beat favourite Prizeland (Andrew Balding/David Probert) by four and three-quarter lengths.

Only fifth on her return over a mile in the Park Express Stakes, Cameo appreciated the longer trip as she quickened away from her rivals from over a furlong out and looks a credible candidate for the Oaks based on this win, for all that Cheshire Oaks winner Amelia Earhart shades her in the betting.

Ryan Moore was complimentary about the daughter of Wootton Bassett, saying: “Today was the first time I’ve ridden Cameo. She’s a scopey filly, who handled the track well and did everything right. She picked up well from a long way out and kept going. She is a filly that will get better as the year progresses. You never know where they can end up, but I love everything she did today and would say she will get better.”

MALTESE Cross (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) put his name in the hat for the Derby, with a classy victory in the Lingfield Derby Trial.

The son of Sea The Stars scored by a neck from Bay of Brilliance (Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch), with hot favourite Maho Bay unplaced having failed to handle the track.

Sent off at 9/4, Maltese Cross travelled well and was sent to the front a quarter of a mile from home, but had to battle to get the better of the game runner-up, with the pair pulling six and a half lengths clear.

When asked if Epsom was on the cards for the winner, Haggas said: “You’ve got to have a shot at it now. When you run in a trial, this is what there is and what’s around. The team across the water are pretty strong, but why can’t we have a go?”

THE Group 3 Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes was the big race of the day at Lingfield, given it carries Group 3 status and the race went the way of 11/8 favourite Royal Velvet (William Knight/William Buick), who stepped up on a winning return at Newmarket to take her ninth career success and her first at pattern level.

She quickened well from behind the pace to lead well inside the final furlong, defeating La Brodeuse (Kevin Ryan/Tom Marquand) by three-parts of a length in the colours of owner/breeder Susan Hartley.

“Royal Velvet has been an absolute star for me and for Susan,” said the winning trainer. “It’s great to get to the blacktype too for her potential broodmare future. We’ll consider the Group 2 [Duke of Cambridge Stakes] at Ascot, but she’d have to go up to a mile.”

Ascot Saturday

Wizard wins Victoria Cup for a second time

THE Wizard Of Eye (Tom Clover/Neil Callan) landed the seven-furlong Victoria Cup at Ascot for the second time in three years on Saturday, when scoring at odds of 20/1.

Trained by Charlie Fellowes when landing the 2024 running, and now with Tom Clover, the seven-year-old benefited from a high draw and hit the front well over a furlong out, before going on to beat Great Acclaim (Eve Johnson Houghton/Charlie Bishop) by a length.

Callan said: “He’s very easy to ride; he’s a high-cruising speed type of horse. I looked round after a furlong and a half and couldn’t believe how far the centre group were behind us.

“To be fair, when I gave him a bit of a squeeze at the two pole to crank through the gears, it was kind of instant and it was just a case of keeping him up to his work.

“He’s a lovely horse to have and I’ve had him at my stud in the winter for a holiday. He was there for ages, and my wife fell in love with him.”

Haydock Saturday

More heartbreak for Durkan

BILL Durkan had the misfortune to have Laafi disqualified after winning a valuable handicap at Aintree last month and endured more misfortune as the six-year-old looked set to win the valuable Swinton Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday under Philip Byrnes, only to land awkwardly at the last and get run down close home by 33/1 chance Moon Chime (David Killahena and Graeme McPherson/Nick Slatter), who won by a neck.

Durkan, and his assistant Gary Bannon, must have been cursing their luck, as they earlier saddled Eagle Fang to finish a close second to Matty’s Getaway (Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls/Ciaran Gethings) in the Pertemps Network Long Distance Hurdle. Eagle Fang had also finished second at Aintree, so it’s easy to feel sympathy for connections.