After a relatively quiet spell, John Gosden’s form picked up again with Enable in the Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks at Chester on Wednesday.

Rank outsider Erica Bing led to three furlongs out, where Frankie Dettori sent Enable to the front, the daughter of Nathaniel pulling clear and readily holding Aidan O’Brien’s Alluringly by just under two lengths. The first two finished well clear of Tansholpan.

O’Brien had won five of the last nine runnings of this listed event and Alluringly was made Evens favourite. The daughter of Fastnet Rock kept on well in the closing stages but was never going reach the winner.

Enable seemed to appreciate the near mile and a half trip after lacking the pace to go with stable companion Shutter Speed over a shorter trip at Newbury on her previous run.

Out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Concentric, she is bred for middle distances and Teddy Grimthorpe, Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager, confirmed as such: “Yes, we’d certainly want to head to Epsom. Frankie was always comfortable and she quickened and quickened again. It was a smart performance”.

Coolmore representative Kevin Buckley drew attention to the tightness of the track and the strong possibility that Alluringly would come on for the outing. Whether she would prefer the Curragh is hard to say at this stage but Ballydoyle already houses Epsom favourite Rhododendron, currently priced around the 2/1 mark.

Bookmakers quoted prices in range of 6/1 and 8/1 after Enable’s win.

MURPHY DELIVERS ‘QUIRKY’ MONTALY LATE

Not for the first time in recent years, the 188Bet Chester Cup was won by a horse coming with a fast and late run.

On this occasion it was 16/1 chance Montaly, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Oisin Murphy, who found the extra inside the final 100 yards to get up and foil Yorkidding by a neck with Fun Mac and Who Dares Wins in close proximity.

For a long time over three circuits of this unique racecourse, trainer Mark Johnston looked like landing the famous old prize. His Yorkidding led early and then took over again as they entered the final furlong, this after stable companion Watersmeet had struck the front with two furlongs to travel. It was not to be, however, as Montaly, having raced in midfield for much of the way, went right through with his effort off the final bend.

Determined he may be in a tight finish but Montaly is a moody sort otherwise and lashed out with his near-hind at Balding’s wife Anna Lisa in the parade ring.

She was very lucky as he made contact with her bag containing an expensive smartphone – a minor inconvenience compared with what might have transpired.

Montaly missed all of 2015 through injury and had not won for the better part of three years, though the ability has always been there.

“He’s from a quirky family, and very few good racehorses aren’t quirky,” Mrs Balding asserted. “We thought it was going to be too quick for him. I don’t think we were racing on the good side of good to firm, which is what they said, but it was fresh ground with a good cover, so it was a risk worth taking.”

Winning owner Sir Charles Hobhouse has travelled the country to support his six-year-old, sometimes putting up with late withdrawals, but everything worked out this week.

“He’s been very unlucky. He should have won at Haydock last year (the Old Borough Cup) but Oisin has paid us back today,” he smiled.

SHANAHAN’S TAEXALI JUST DENIED

The fast ground may have been the reason four runners came out of the five-furlong Boodles Diamond Handicap.

Stall one was the place to be and Jason Hart had John Quinn’s 2/1 favourite El Astronaute out in a flash, making all to hold Pat Shanahan’s Taexali (stall two) by a neck.

Shanahan has been in good form with the horses he has brought to Britain and this was very nearly another significant win for him.

David Evans’s Yogi’s Girl will go on to York and then the Queen Mary after leading all the way in the opener but the old advice counselling caution where penalised horses are concerned counted for plenty in the seven-furlong handicap as Richard Fahey’s 15/8 favourite Gin In The Inn, with 6lb extra to carry going in search of a hat-trick, was caught in the dying strides by Jamie Osborne’s 14/1 shot Russian Soul and Dougie Costello.