The most anticipated classic trial of last week was probably Thursday’s Chester Vase, which saw US Army Ranger – Aidan O’Brien’s most prominent colt in the betting for the Derby – make his second start, in the race.
O’Brien’s Derby winner Ruler of The World won on the way to Epsom success in 2013. However, US Army Rangerwas forced to work much harder in the Chester Vase than Ruler of The World three years prior, scrambling home under a more forceful ride than was given to his stablemate Port Douglas, who was beaten just a short head.
Port Douglas was entitled to improve for the step up to this trip (now Timeform-rated 113, from 104) and he emerges as the best horse at the weights (arguably should have won, and gave 4 lb to the winner). US Army Ranger is likely to benefit plenty from this experience, however, and remains the better long-term prospect with this under his belt (now Timeform-rated 109p), though his 5/1 price tag for the Derby owes plenty to his connections and potential rather than his form.
The winner of Lingfield’s Derby Trial on Saturday was perhaps not the best horse on the day, either, with the third Across The Stars (113p) rated higher than the second Carntop (111p) and the winner Humphrey Bogart (112) after being denied a run inside the final furlong and hitting the line with running left. Given Sir Michael Stoute already has Midterm (113p) for the Derby, it remains to be seen whether Across The Stars will take his chance at Epsom, but he would be an interesting contender if he did. Humphrey Bogart gave a further boost to So Mi Dar’s Epsom Derby Trial win, but would need to be supplemented for the Derby itself and may not justify that cost in prize-money return. Carntop, who looked the winner before seemingly being outstayed by Humphrey Bogart, may be seen to better effect at a mile and a quarter at this stage.
The Derrinstown at the Curragh is often an informative Derby Trial, with impressive winners in recent years such as Battle of Marengo and Fame And Glory both going on to make the frame at Epsom just twenty days on. It is hard to go overboard about the result of this year’s race given that the second, third, fourth and fifth (who acted as a pacemaker) were separated by just over a length, and the winner Moonlight Magic got first run on most of the field. However, Moonlight Magic – now Timeform-rated 112p – is worth his place in the Derby (be it English or Irish), as is the third Idaho (also 112p) who was poorly placed in a muddling affair and left the impression that we have yet to see his true colours.There weren’t as many high-profile runners last week in the fillies’ classic trials, but it is worth giving a mention to Somehow, who is now Timeform-rated 103P, after overcoming the run of the race to win Wednesday’s Cheshire Oaks. Though her potential going forward leans heavily on her excellent pedigree (dam Alexandrova won the English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks) she was clearly still learning here, off the bridle in rear and having around six lengths to make up when the pace began to quicken, and though the bare form is nothing special, she is open to significant improvement going forward. Aidan O’Brien also took the Lingfield Oaks Trial on Saturday with Seventh Heaven, who is now Timeform rated 105p. The race itself was ran at a crawl and, lacking the sort of scope for improvement that Somehow has, Seventh Heaven would likely find herself well down the pecking order if showing up at Epsom, with her yard’s challenge in that race looking particularly strong.
Away from the Derby and Oaks trials, two of the most notable performances at Chester’s May meeting came from stablemates Dartmouth and Cannock Chase, who both produced career-best efforts in winning the Ormonde Stakes and Huxley Stakes, respectively. Dartmouth is now Timeform-rated 122p and in dominating from the front at Chester showed another dimension in his development, as well as continuing his steadily progressive profile, following on from his three-year-old campaign. The Hardwicke at Royal Ascot (his only entry) will require much more winning than the Ormonde, but given his yard’s record with similar types, he would be hard to rule out. Cannock Chase – who is now Timeform-rated 126 after defying a 7 lb Group 1 penalty in the Huxley Stakes – is also entered in the Hardwicke, though does have an option in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, in which he made little impression last year (though has seemingly improved since then).Tom Dascombe enjoyed another fruitful Chester May meeting, but the pick of his winners was Kachy, who is now Timeform-rated 116p after his dominant five-furlong handicap win on Friday. Kachy, who was injured after winning last season’s Molecomb, got back on the upward curve returned to firmer ground and looked very fast. He has entries in the Temple Stakes, Commonwealth Cup, and July Cup, and could develop into a very smart sprinter in time.
Weight-adjusted Timeform Ratings for the Oaks at Epsom
MINDING (IRE) 136
BALLYDOYLE (IRE) 130p
SO MI DAR 126p
FIREGLOW 125
ALICE SPRINGS (IRE) 125
PROMISING RUN (USA) 124
DOTHRAKI QUEEN (USA) 123
TURRET ROCKS (IRE) 121
PRETTY PERFECT (IRE) 120p
ARCHITECTURE (IRE) 119p
SEVENTH HEAVEN (IRE) 119p
BEST IN THE WORLD (IRE) 118p
SOMEHOW (IRE) 117P
GLAMOROUS APPROACH (IRE) 117p
FIRST VICTORY (IRE) 116
Weight-adjusted Timeform Ratings for the Derby at Epsom
GALILEO GOLD 139
EMOTIONLESS (IRE) 136p
MASSAAT (IRE) 135p
HIT IT A BOMB (USA) 133p
ULTRA (IRE) 130p
SO MI DAR 129p
JOHANNES VERMEER (IRE) 129
FOUNDATION (IRE) 128p
HARZAND (IRE) 128p
MIDTERM 127p
BEACON ROCK (IRE) 127
BLUE DE VEGA (GER) 127p
AIR VICE MARSHAL (USA) 127p
PORT DOUGLAS (IRE) 127
ACROSS THE STARS (IRE) 127p
