Who can underline their Classic credentials at Chester?
We emerged from Newmarket at the weekend with a red-hot Investec Derby favourite in Saxon Warrior and a new name at the head of the Oaks market - Lah Ti Dar.
Now for the other trials - just over a week in which colts and fillies get the final chance to stake their Epsom claims at Chester, Leopardstown and York.
It's to the Roodeye we head first and Wednesday's double-header with the Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks and Centennial Celebration - MBNA Chester Vase Stakes.
It was here last year that Enable first emerged as a potential star among the Classic generation while Aidan O'Brien has won the last five renewals of the Vase including with subsequent 2013 Derby hero Ruler Of The World.
David Ord takes a look at the two races and tries to identify potential Epsom market springers.
- Prices in brackets are Sky Bet odds for the Investec Oaks or Derby.
Cheshire Oaks racecard and form
When you spend $1.4million on a yearling filly there’s always the broodmare value to fall back on (it’s fair to say the page will be littered with Black Type – otherwise a beleaguered bloodstock agent is looking for a new job). But this one can run. She’s very much a work in progress and a maiden after two starts but she ran an eyecatching race when second in a Leopardstown maiden on her reappearance. That was on desperate ground and she can come alive here on a sounder surface with that experience under her belt. Ryan Moore is in the saddle. There are five Ballydoyle stablemates ahead of her at the moment in the Investec Oaks market. Clearly she needs to win here to enter Epsom calculations, but she looks a project for her team and is a filly to follow.
Bred to improve at three and surprised connections when winning her only start last season at Nottingham despite signs of greenness. Entitled to come on bundles for that and her trainer has done well with similar types in recent years. All potential at this stage and all things considered there's not much juice in Classic price.
A second O’Brien runner and Group Three placed at two, she didn’t take the eye before the Nell Gwyn on her reappearance and barely caught it during the race, finishing ninth. She’s entitled to improve but hard to get enthusiastic over her Chester chances – let alone Epsom.
900,000 euro purchase for the Coolmore team and a full-sister to a Fillies’ Mile winner in Together Forever. Definite signs of ability in two back-end maidens in 2017. Your guess is as good as mine over how good she is – the only safe bet is much better than she's shown so far.
A half-sister to an Investec Derby winner in Harzand and in very good hands. Third on only start at two, she reappeared at Newbury last month and was very much in need of the run, finishing seventh behind Lah Ti Dar. She's going to improve considerably this year but doesn't yet look an Investec Oaks project despite her bloodlines and connections.
Has an excellent middle-distance pedigree and definite signs of ability in Wood Ditton on racecourse debut last month. She’s another who’s going to improve with time and experience and her yard traditionally target this meeting with their good fillies. However it’s hard to think she’s going to emerge as a big Classic contender on just her second racecourse start at the Roodeye.
VERDICT: It’s hard to believe there’s another Enable lurking in this field. Plenty of top pedigrees with potential but the Investec Oaks is three weeks on Friday and going to be too much too soon for most. If there is to be an ante-post market springer then MAGIC WAND appeals as the most likely. A clear-cut win here would catapult her up the Ballydoyle pecking order and they are not going to be single-handed at Epsom.
At bigger prices keep an eye on Hazarfiya. She was the subject of encouraging reports early in the spring and things didn't fall her way at Newbury last time. She's going to take time to fulfil her potential but expect a significant step forward at some stage.
Chester Vase racecard and form
Took a big leap forward when runner-up in the Sandown trial, proving hard to pass as he fought all the way up the hill. A regally-bred son of Dubawi, he’d be interesting in terms of future Group One targets if capable of making another leap forward here but the Charlie Appleby team have started the campaign so well that he’s unlikely to have been badly in need of the run first time back.
The John Gosden-trained Sevenna Star (15-8f) wins the bet365 Classic Trial under Frankie Dettori, getting the better of Ispolini in a close finish. pic.twitter.com/4F1sXg1Mvg
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) April 27, 2018
Progressed form Naas maiden win to be third behind Sevenna Star in Classic Trial at Sandown. From the family of High Chaparral he is going to get better in time and was closing all the way to the line at the Esher track. The choice of Ryan Moore here which could be significant in terms of his Vase chance – he needs to be impressive to make much of a dint in his Epsom price.
Typical of his yard that he's still on the upgrade despite a busy juvenile campaign and came home strongly when third in the Epsom trial on his reappearance. He was unsuited by the steady pace there and will relish this step up a mile-and-a-half. Could easily book his Epsom place with a big run here although the same connections have Mildenberger pointing at the Dante next week.
Created a big impression when wining a Gowran maiden on his only start at two. Impossible to assess but bred to stay at least a mile-and-a-quarter and one of many exciting Ballydoyle colts on the outskirts of their Epsom team.
Only fifth in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket but bounced back to win the Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown. Encouraging reappearance at Longchamp too but his progress to date has been gradual and it’s a big leap forward needed to emerge as a Investec Derby contender.
Looked a very exciting prospect when overcoming greenness to rout his rivals in a big-field maiden at Newbury last month. The time was good and he’s open to bundles of improvement. Clearly this is a much sterner test – and the track here will hasten his education – but he’s in very good hands and would be pointed at Epsom with a bold show. That has to be in the offing and he appeals as the sort to emerge from this race with his Classic credentials enhanced.
Two from two this spring and made all to slam his field in a novice stakes at Haydock last time. He set a sound pace and had his field well strung out, beating runner-up Lisheen Castle by 11 lengths. He could be hard to peg back here if getting to the front but is going to want further in time and interesting he’s been given a Queen’s Vase entry.
Looks very well bought at only 25,000 guineas and most eyes were on Cheltenham rather than Epsom when he won his two starts to date at Lingfield in January and February. Technological, who he beat on the last day, was last of eight in the Epsom trial though and this is a very different exam to be sitting.
VERDICT: We’ll be saying this a lot over the next few weeks but much clearly depends on how the Ballydoyle team decide to play their Epsom hand. Saxon Warrior is clearly number one and it’s worth remembering that when Camelot took leg two of a potential Triple Crown in the Investec Derby he was joined in the line-up by only one stablemate. That was wide-margin Chester Vase winner Astrology.
Hunting Horn and Family Tree could emerge from here as potential back-up options, although The Pentagon is waiting patiently in the wings. Dee Ex Bee strikes as the sort who will run well here – and potentially at Epsom too – but the same team need to test-drive Mildenberger at York.
In contrast it’s YOUNG RASCAL or bust for William Haggas. He's owned by the Managing Director of the Epsom sponsors and all roads will lead there with a bold show here. Described as "gormless" last year by his trainer, he stays well and just needs educating. There's no better place to do that than here and he could be a shorter-price for the June 2 showpiece come Wednesday tea-time.
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