THE big betting race of the Chester May Meeting was Friday's Chester Cup and some tidy wagers were landed when 7/1 shot A Piece Of Heaven (Joseph O’Brien/Dylan Brown McMonagle) got the best of an exciting finish to beat Maxi King (Kevin Philippart de Foy/Toby Moore), Duraji (Richard Hughes/Finley Marsh) and the winner’s stablemate Galileo Dame (Ryan Moore). The winner chased the front-running Duraji throughout and came through inside the final furlong to score by half a length, with the same margin separating the placed horses.

“He was very good on the day,” said the winning rider on ITV. “I had the plum draw which was a big help and got into the perfect position. I didn’t think they’d go as quick as they did but I was happy to follow along, get him comfortable and I was the winner from a long way out.

“It was just a question of picking him up and getting him going to the line. It’s a good training performance from Joseph who had him spot on for the day as usual.”

Winning return for Lambourn

Lambourn (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore), winner of the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby last year, got back on track after a couple of defeats at the highest level when landing the Group 2 Huxley Stakes.

Ridden away from the start, Lambourn led Bay City Roller (George Scott/Oisin Murphy) past the line with a circuit to race in the mile and two and a half furlong contest and the order was the same when it counted.

Bay City Roller was never more than a length behind the winner, and may have edged to the front briefly a furlong out, but Lambourn showed last year that he is a tough nut to crack and dug deep to repel the runner-up’s challenge by a neck, with Ice Max (Karl Burke/Sam James) emerging from the pack for third.

“He won the Vase well here last year so we knew he’d go around this track,” said Ryan Moore. “He’s a Derby winner at Epsom, an Irish Derby winner, and ran in the Leger where he probably didn’t stay.

“He was kind of having a laugh the whole way around there really and I didn’t get anywhere near the bottom of him. He gets a mile and a half but I don’t think he wants to go any further.”

Boodles Chester Vase (Group 3)

BENVENUTO Cellini made it a perfect opening day for the Coolmore team as he beat stablemate Proposition (Wayne Lordan) in the Chester Vase.

Carrying the colours of part-owner Peter Brandt, the son of Frankel was unopposed in the betting at 2/9 and having allowed his stable-companion to set the race up for him, Ryan Moore sent the favourite ahead with over a furlong to run and the pair powered away to record a four-and-a-quarter-length success.

“Benvenuto Cellini is obviously a high-class horse and carried a penalty there,” Moore said of the winner, who previously took the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile.

“We’re just trying to learn about these horses. Proposition set a nice tempo. It wasn’t ideal, but he showed really good pace to run them down and he’ll come on for the run.”

Earhart flies home

Aidan O’Brien and Moore cleaned up in the classic trials on Wednesday, with Amelia Earhart taking the Listed Cheshire Oaks from the much-touted I’m The One (John & Thady Gosden/William Buick) to repeat last year’s win with Minnie Hauk.

The daughter of Camelot - a 13/8 shot and wearing blinkers and a hood - was never far away and always better placed than her market rival and she hit the front over a furlong out. Despite leaning to her left in the straight, she never looked like conceding her advantage and had two lengths to spare at the post.

The runner-up showed her lack of experience by missing the start and then running off the final bend but is likely to improve plenty for the experience and a rematch at Epsom could be exciting.

Ryan Moore spoke highly of the strapping Ameila Earhart after the race, saying: “She’s a fine, big filly by Camelot - a family we know well. She was well suited by the step up in trip. She handled the trip, handled the ground and she’s done everything right.

“She’s a really nice filly for the rest of the year. That’ll do her good today, she’ll have learned plenty and she’s enjoyed herself.”

AIDAN O’Brien’s rewarding week continued when Jan Brueghel, the 2024 St Leger hero, justified odds of 2/5 to win the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes by two and a half lengths from Mount Atlas, with Messrs Balding and Murphy once again taking the silver medal.

Absent since the King George at Ascot last July, Jan Brueghel lost his position a circuit out behind leader and stablemate Illinois, but Moore didn’t press the panic button and he came with a steady run from the home turn to take command over a furlong out, winning with something up his sleeve.

Kevin Buckley, representing the Coolmore Partners, confirmed that Jan Brueghel would next head to Epsom for the Coronation Cup, a race he won last year from Calandagan.

River runs strongest

Aidan O’Brien’s was completely dominant in the blacktype races at Chester’s May Festival and on Thursday Constitution River (Ryan Moore) was an impressive winner of the Listed Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes at prohibitive odds of 2/9.

The listed race lost much of its interest when Morshdi was declared a non-runner but Constitution River could do no more than outclass his opponents in the style of one destined for better things.

Settled behind the pace in the small field, he got a gap when required on the inside rail as the front-running Shayem shifted out on the home turn and Moore needed no second invitation to take control, allowing his mount to quicken for a seven-length success over Generic (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy).

Paddy Power and Sky Bet reacted by cutting Constitution River to 12/1 (from 16s) for the Betfred Derby at Epsom, although the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly is another option open to the son of Wootton Bassett.

Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, Moore said: “Constitution River is a lovely horse who had very good form as a two-year-old. That was his first run for a long time and he won that well, I don’t know what he beat but he couldn’t have done it any easier. I’d say he’d have no problem going up in trip. He has plenty of options open to him.”