Chester review

A review of the pick of the day’s action from Chester yesterday as Capulet reversed recent all-weather form with Bracken’s Laugh to win the Dee Stakes.

Capulet was tracked by favourite Jayarbee but Sean Levey was sending out distress signals on the 7/4 favourite as Moore started to go through the gears with a couple of furlongs to travel.

Moore masterclass in the Dee
Ryan Moore gave Capulet a peach of a ride from the front to win the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes.
The Ballydoyle representative was sent straight to the front in the 10-furlong Listed contest, in which God’s Window was very sluggish from the stalls and Harper’s Ferry had to be withdrawn beforehand having proved reluctant to take part.

Richard Hughes’ Bracken’s Laugh, who had Capulet back in third when springing a surprise at Chelmsford early last month, emerged as the main danger and he appeared to get within a neck in the straight, but 7/2 shot Capulet found a little extra close home to win by half a length.

Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick Smith, said: “That was very pleasing and I thought Ryan gave him a lovely ride. He appreciated the step up in trip, no doubt, he’s an uncomplicated horse, he travels well so I suppose it will be the French Derby or the English Derby.

“We know he gets 10 furlongs well and he’d probably get a mile and a half the way he runs so we’re delighted with him. We have the trials at the weekend and next week and Aidan will sit down with the lads and discuss the plan from there.

“He’s a Justify so it’s nice to see, we’re very pleased. Ryan was delighted, he said it was very uncomplicated, he got him into a nice rhythm, he’s a kind horse and stepping up in trip wouldn’t be a problem.

“He turned the form around with the second, but I think he really appreciated the step up in trip there. That (Chelmsford) was a qualifier for the Kentucky Derby, but whether that was ever on the cards for him is a question for the trainer.”

Capulet is now as short as 14/1 for Epsom – but support continues to come in for City Of Troy, who is back as favourite with some firms.

Smith said: “Aidan is happy with him and all roads now lead to the Derby with him.”

Back to Capulet, Moore said: “He 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 happy with him, he came forward nicely from Chelmsford and the step up in trip has helped him.

“He’s a horse who had good form last year and with a bit of luck he’ll go on from here and improve again. I think the nicer ground and 10 furlongs suited him well, so there’ll be plenty of options for him now.”

Speaking from his Ballydoyle base, O’Brien said: “All the options are open to him now and we’ll see how he is, it will be one of the Derbys that weekend, in England or France, I’d have thought.

“There’s obviously the Irish Derby in the mix, too, so all things are open now. He’s a lovely, honest horse. He was a little bit free in front today, but did it nicely in the end.
“We took him to Chelmsford to see if he was going to go to Kentucky so that was on the cards, but he was green there and he’d come on for that run.”

Brave and true
Never So Brave lived up to his billing as the even-money favourite for the Halliwell Jones Handicap, readily defying an opening mark of 94 as the market suggested he might.

Runner up to subsequent Group 1 scorers in Ancient Wisdom and Vandeek in novice and maiden events at Newmarket and Nottingham respectively last summer, he lined up on the Roodee on the back of a comeback success in a Thirsk maiden and victory never really looked in doubt.

Ryan Moore sat handily on the inside aboard Sir Michael Stoute’s three-year-old colt, stalking the front-running Gunfighter before manoeuvring out for a clear passage on entering the short home straight.

Witness Stand made his bid on the outer but Never So Brave had far too many gears and swiftly put the race to bed once in the clear. He extended on the run to the line, ultimately scoring by two lengths from Witness Stand who returned at 22/1.

Never So Brave is owned by Saeed Suhail, who has had some great days teaming up with Stoute, and his assistant racing manager Philip Robinson indicated a possible Royal Ascot bid could be on the cards for the horse.

“He keeps progressing. We were very hopeful. He showed some nice form last year, won nicely at Thirsk, won as he likes there and this was a step up to see how good he was,” said Robinson.

“He’s been a typical one of Sir Michael’s, just brought him along gradually to peak at the right time.

“I think he’ll be nice, but it’s difficult to say how high he could go. If he got the mile he could be a Britannia horse so we’ll have to have a chat.”

Dilemma leaves it late
Democracy Dilemma swooped late to land the opening CAA Stellar Handicap at Chester, claiming a third course and distance victory in the process and narrowly denying the veteran Copper Knight by a neck.

Robert Cowell’s four-year-old, a well-backed 11/4 favourite under Tom Marquand, was making a successful return to the UK having run at Meydan and Jebel Ali earlier in the year.

Copper Knight had to settle for second at odds of 12/1, having looked the winner until narrowly denied, with third going to 8/1 chance Vintage Clarets, who came from a long way back to get closely involved in the tight, three-way finish.
Fourth was Roman Dragon (100/30) and fifth went to Night On Earth at 11/1.

Marquand said: “The idea was to get him out of the gate and get him travelling in a comfortable position – when you have that draw around here you don’t want to be giving it away.

“He had some problems with the gates last time, but Jake Launchbury has done a fantastic job with him getting that sorted and he didn’t miss a beat so it was a job well done.
“The ground has sharpened up a good bit, but he had form on fast ground before. To be honest it’s all about the draw around here and we made good use of it.”