Chester May Festival 2024: Capulet wins Dee Stakes

Capulet (7-2) gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a record 11th victory in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes on day two of the Boodles Chester May Festival. And with success in the Listed contest on the Roodee, the three-year-old may well have booked his ticket to next month’s Betfred Derby at Epsom, for which he is best priced at 14-1.

The three-year-old son of American Triple Crown hero Justify, who was beaten half a length by stablemate Diego Velazquez in the Group Two KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown last September, took the extended 1m2f contest by three quarters. -by a length, under Ryan Moore, from Bracken’s Laugh (11-2)

The Ballydoyle master will have a strong squad as he bids for a 10th win in the Premier Classic at Epsom on June 1. His 2,000 Guineas flop City Of Troy is now back in favor at around 9-2 after being sent off at 8-1 following last weekend’s Newmarket upset. But Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez, Ilinois – who take part in Saturday’s Lingfield Derby Trial – and Los Angeles are other possible contenders for O’Brien at Epsom. And Capulet could join them, helping his trainer match Barry Hills with a record 11th Derby victory on Roodee. He led from start to finish under Moore and won by a comfortable shade from the Richard Hughes-trained Bracken’s Laugh, who beat the winner in an all-weather race at Chelmsford last month .

Coolmore’s Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick Smith, said: “It was really enjoyable and I thought Ryan gave him a great ride. He appreciated the step in the trip, no doubt, he’s a simple horse, travels well, so I suppose it will be the French Derby or the English Derby. We know he’s 10 furlongs and he’ll probably get a mile and a half down the road so we’re excited about him and next week Aidan will sit down with the guys and discuss the plan there. He’s a Justify so that’s nice to see, we’re really excited, he said it was very easy pace, he’s a nice horse and going up in the trip wouldn’t be a problem.

On City Of Troy, Smith added: “Aidan is happy with him and all roads now lead to the Derby with him.”

At Capulet, winning rider Moore – who had a treble on the second day of the meeting in May – said: “It was nicely drawn, there were only the four runners and he got into a nice rhythm and was able to build away. I was very pleased with him, he came on nicely from Chelmsford and the step in the trip helped him. He’s a horse who had good form last year and with a bit of luck he’ll go further and I think nicer ground and 10 furlongs suited him well so there will be plenty of options for him now.”

O’Brien achieved a big race double at Chester with Point Lonsdale (13-8 favourite) winning the Group Three feature tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes. O’Brien’s five-year-old won the Huxley Stakes over an extended 1m2f at this meeting last year and, although things did not go to plan after returning to Group 1 company, he is set to challenge again at a higher level. following another win over Roodee. Under Ryan Moore, Point Lonsdale sat just off the pace set by fourth Melbourne Cup Deauville Legend. But he moved to lead after the turn for home and managed to score six-and-a-half lengths from Arest (11-4). Alsakib was third, with Deauville Legend languishing in fourth.

Point Lonsdale was third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom last season and could return there later this month or wait for next month’s Royal Ascot for another crack at Group 1 level, possibly even stepping up again to the trip to Ascot. The gold cup.

One of his Coolmore owners, Paul Smith, said: “We are delighted with him as he is such a versatile horse. You could pick him up for a Gold Cup or run him in something like the Coronation at Epsom or go with him to Ascot, You can do anything. It’s a pleasure to have something to do. He enjoyed this step in the trip today so he can run in the Gold Cup, he’s enthusiastic and doing what you told him today, it’s a great field. We’ll make a plan in a few weeks.

Trainer O’Brien was not at Chester but, speaking from his Ballydoyle yard, added: “He is such a lovely horse, so honest and genuine. You can run him over all kinds of travel, he feels comfortable at 10 furlongs, today was the furthest. he’s gone, but he might even go further. What it has done today is open up all kinds of options. He could drop back to 10 for a Tattersalls Gold Cup, go to the Coronation at Epsom, the Hardwicke at Ascot. or even the Gold Cup, all those races are great to have horses like him, he’s tough, genuine and versatile.

Of runner-up Arrest, who was a runaway winner of the Chester Vase at last year’s meeting, trainer John Gosden said: “He ran great but the ground dried up too much for him. He just wasn’t in love with the land, unfortunately.”

Democracy Dilemma (11-4 favourite) took the lead to win the opener on day two at Chester, the CAA Stellar Handicap. The Robert Cowell-trained four-year-old was always close under Tom Marquand, just off the pace in the five-furlong sprint. He made the move to a furlong and in a three-way finish just beat Copper Knight (12-1) by a neck with Vintage Clarets (8-1) a nose back in third.

Winning jockey Marquand said: “The idea was to get him out of the gate and get him riding in a comfortable position – when you’ve got this draw around here, you don’t want to give it away. Had some problems with the gates. last time but Jake Launchbury did a fantastic job with him he sorted that out and didn’t miss a beat so that was a job well done. To be honest, it’s all about the draw around here and I used it well.”

of Karl Burke Teej A (4-1) won the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes. Two-year-old filly Mehmaas, who was runner-up on her Nottingham debut last month, went one better to break her duck on Roodee. With the plum draw in stall one, she stayed off the pace set by the Passing Phase, waiting for the cut to arrive. Once that gap appeared, under Clifford Lee, she moved to lead on the rail and came home the winner of the six-furlong sprint by two and a quarter lengths ahead of Rashabar (the 3-1 favourite). The Flying Gull (6-1) is back in third place.

Winning jockey Lee said: “It went pretty much to plan to be honest. It traveled well and as soon as we got to the cutaway it was off. This was important because you can get a lot of good luck stories here. She is sharp. stepped up a lot for her first run and galloped through the line too. She was green for her first run, but she’s wiser now.

Never So Brave (tie favourite) gave Sir Michael Stoute only his second winner of the season in the Halliwell Jones Handicap. The Ryan Moore-ridden three-year-old scored two lengths from Witness Stand (22-1). Owner Saeed Suhail’s assistant racing manager Philip Robinson has indicated a trip to Royal Ascot could be next for the No Nay Never colt.

Robinson said: “He continues to progress. We were very confident. He showed some nice form last year, won nicely at Thirsk, won the way he likes there and this was a step up to see how good he was. He’s been typical Sir Michael, he’s brought him up to his peak at the right time, I think he’ll be nice but it’s hard to say how high he could go, he could be a Britannia horse I’m talking about.”