A stunning ride from Ryan Moore - the second in a hat-trick on the day - saw Capulet net an eleventh Dee Stakes for trainer Aidan O'Brien; Never So Brave underlines Ascot credentials and Democracy Dilemma scores with a smart showing
Thursday 9 May 2024 16:23, UK
Capulet strengthened Aidan O'Brien's Derby hand with a front-running victory in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes at Chester.
The Ballydoyle handler will have plenty to choose from in a bid for a 10th victory in the premier Classic at Epsom on June 1, with City Of Troy seemingly still the stable's first string despite his disappointing run in the 2000 Guineas last weekend.
Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez and Los Angeles are others in the mix at this stage - and Capulet threw his hat into the ring by providing his trainer with a joint-record 11th win in this trial on the Roodee.
Given a typically well-executed ride from the front by Ryan Moore, the 7/2 shot steadily raised the tempo and took a couple of lengths out of the chasing 7/4 favourite Jayarebe from the home turn.
The Richard Hughes-trained Bracken's Laugh, who had beaten the winner in a valuable conditions race on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month, came from further back to throw down a major challenge, but Capulet was not for passing on this occasion and was half a length in front at the line.
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."
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."
Never So Brave took Sir Michael Stoute's tally for the season to two with a straightforward success in the Halliwell Jones Handicap at Chester.
Notoriously a slow starter, the three-year-old had also provided the Freemason Lodge handler with his first winner of the season, when cruising to victory at Thirsk.
That saw him allotted an opening handicap mark of 94 and on this evidence that was pretty generous, as Ryan Moore was able to sit just behind the leader before pressing the button and winning with the minimum of fuss as the even-money favourite.
He 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 a horse who was unfortunate to bump into Vandeek and Ancient Wisdom in his two juvenile starts.
"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."
Democracy Dilemma (11/4 favourite) made full use of his low draw to win for the first time for his new connections in the CAA Stellar Handicap.
Over five furlongs a draw near the rail takes on even greater significance on the Roodee and Tom Marquand bided his time behind the pacesetters.
Bought for 105,000 guineas by Jim and Fitri Hay and sent to sprint specialist Robert Cowell, he had disappointed twice in Dubai and then refused to enter the stalls at Bath. But he looked a reformed character when getting up on the line to pip the veteran Copper Knight by a neck with a nose back to Vintage Clarets.
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."
The Karl Burke-trained Teej A (4/1) went one better than on debut when quickening up on the inside for Clifford Lee in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
Marquand set the pace on Jessica Harrington's Passing Phase, but Lee looked to be travelling the better with a furlong to run, just waiting for a gap on the rail as soon as he reached the cutaway.
The Mehmas filly quickly put three lengths between herself and the rest, but it was a good job she did as the 3-1 favourite Rashabar made rapid late gains, beaten two and a quarter lengths looking yet another Chester hard luck story from his stall 10 draw.
"It went pretty much according to plan to be honest," said Lee.
"She travelled well and as soon as we got to the cutaway away she went. That was important as you can get a lot of hard luck stories here.
"She's sharpened up a lot for her first run and she galloped through the line as well. She was green for her first run but she's wiser now."
