Star Of India (6-4 favourite) continued Aidan O'Brien's dominance of the Classic trials with victory in the Dee Stakes on the second day of the 2022 Boodles Chester May Festival.
Having won the Chester Vase with Changingoftheguard and the Cheshire Oaks with Thoughts Of June on the first day of the meeting, the Ballydoyle handler added another Cazoo Derby Trial to his successes on the Roodee.
O'Brien already has the 2-1 favourite, QIPCO 2,000 Guineas third Luxembourg, for the Colts' Classic at Epsom. But he seems to adding a potential contender for glory by the day with another trial success. With further trials at Lingfield on Saturday, Leopardstown on Sunday and the Dante Stakes at York next week, the Irish maestro is likely to add even more to his team for Epsom.
The three-year-old Galileo colt provided O'Brien with a ninth victory in the Listed contest and is now a best-priced 20-1 for the Derby with Paddy Power. Gypsy King (2005), Magician (2013) and Circus Maximus (2019) are among the Ballydoyle handler's previous winners of the Dee Stakes who have gone on to bigger things. Although no horse since Kris Kin in 2003 has gone on to win the Derby following success in the Dee Stakes.
But Star Of India is at least in the Classic pictured following his success at Chester under Ryan Moore.
The three-year-old son of Galileo improved on his fifth to subsequent QIPCO 2,000 Guineas runner-up Native Trial when fifth in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket last month with the step up in trip to 1m2f.
Star Of India missed the break but was soon in behind the front-running Mr McCann – who is owned by the AJT Group which is made up of several Liverpool FC players including Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and trained by Hugo Palmer at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables in Cheshire.
Star Of India seemed to improve the further he went and came through to scored by two-and-a quarter-length from Cresta (11-2) as Mr McCann faded into fifth.
Winning jockey Moore said: "He's a nice horse and it was only his third run, so that was a good performance.
"He's still learning and things were happening a little quick for him in places, but he got it done well in the end. I think he'll improve as he's a very laid-back horse.
"We're only just getting to know about him. When he came off the bridle I think that was more through greenness than anything else.
"It was a big learning curve today. He ran in a straight line at Newmarket and then he's gone round a bend today.
"He's in the mix with the others and he'll get better, I've no doubt about that.
"He got to the line very easy there so I'd be happy with him going over further.
"I wouldn't compare him with yesterday's winner (Changingoftheguard) as they are slightly different horses. Yesterday's was very impressive, but the way this race was run meant he couldn't be impressive."
Coolmore’s UK representative Kevin Buckley added: “We’re very pleased with that, Aidan thought that he would improve for this step up in distance and obviously he’s a full brother to Roman Empire. He handled the track really well and gave Ryan a feel and did everything he asked of him – Aidan thinks there could be more improvement from that.
“The most important thing, as we all know, from Chester is that he will have learned plenty from today. There’s a wonderful atmosphere today and lots of people so it’s a great learning curve for the horses.”
On whether Star Of India could improve stepping up again in trip, Buckley said: “I think there’s a possibility. That was his next stepping stone and I don’t think, given his pedigree, that he’d have any issue going up to a mile and a half. We’ll talk to the lads about Epsom now.
“Given the fact that he’s Roman Empire’s brother and he ran in the Dante of course, on pedigree this was always going to suit and we were looking forward to campaigning him over that distance. You need to be slick as well around here so it was good – Ryan was very pleased with him and every time he was asked a question he answered, which was the whole purpose of bringing him here.”
Star Of India provided a 350th black type winner for the stallion, the late Galileo. Buckley said: “It continues the legacy of Galileo. Obviously it was very sad for us all at Coolmore to lose Galileo but his impact carries on and he’s still got his final crop of foals being born this year. Numerically it’s not many but we’ve still got those to look forward to.”
Hamish (9-2) ran out a good winner of the tote.co.uk Proud To Support Chester Racecourse Ormonde Stakes.
The William Haggas-trained six-year-old had won three times in 2019, but has only run four times since. But on his first start since November, under Tom Marquand, Hamish landed a three-quarter-length success in the Group Three contest as Ralph Beckett's high-class mare Albaflora, sent off the warm 10-11 favourite, disappointed.
Thunderous, under Scouser Franny Norton, hit the front of the 1m5f contest and set a good pace throughout. He was still in front and had plenty struggling on the run for home. But Hamish hit his stride at just the right time and went clear of Thunderous to score. Alounak (12-1) was a further two-and-threequarters-of-a-length further adrift in third. Albaflora was well beaten in back fifth.
Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: "He's an absolute star and we love him to bits. He's done well to win as he'd have needed it a bit and he was a bit fresh.
"We haven't been on the grass at home as the ground is so firm, so to win first time out with a penalty, he's done well."
Hamish is entered in the Paddy Power Yorkshire Cup next week, but connections are likely to head to Royal Ascot next.
Haggas added: "I walked the track earlier and I was thinking it was quick enough for him but it couldn't be that bad given the rain yesterday, and it looks sure to be quicker at York next week.
"He'll go to Ascot I imagine for the Hardwicke Stakes, but it all depends on the ground. If it's firm he won't go anywhere.
"He was off for a long time with a tendon injury and it was a big team effort to get him back. Every day (racing) could be his last which is the sad thing, as you never know how long they will last when they've had those injuries."
Look Out Louis, sent off the well-backed 2-1 favourite, grabbed another victory at Chester in the opener, the ICM Stellar Sports Handicap.
The Julie Camacho-trained six-year-old won over six furlongs on the Roodee last June and dropped down the minimum distance obliged again. From a decent low draw in two, he was always front rank initially taking a lead off Militia, who also broke smartly from stall one.
It looked as if Look Out Louis had slipped the field in the final two furlongs but he only just held on by a head from the fast-finishing Count D'Orsay (13-2).
Winning jockey Hart said: "Julie took a ticket for him to go last into the stalls as at Newmarket last time he got a bit fresh and he missed it half a beat which you can't afford to do here.
"He kind of did, though, as Graham (Lee) was out really sharp (on Militia) but I was able to get a nice tow into it and luckily the line came in time and he's got a long neck!
"I was running on fumes in the last 50 yards. The ground is just a bit dead today and he'd ideally want it like a road. They've done a great job with him at home, he just needs to be fresh."
Outgate, sent off the 9-4 favourite, ran a good winner of the Deepbridge Handicap to give Ryan Moore another winner of the Roodee.
Moore, who has landed a treble on the opening day of the Boodles May Festival, had the perfect ride on the Daniel and Clare Kubler-trained three-year-old. The pair sat just off the pace set by Value Thoery and Scouser Franny Norton. But when the leader dropped away after the turn for home, Moore moved through on Outgate to score comfortably by a length from Koy Koy (5-2) with My Little Tip (17-2) a further length-and-three-quarters away in third.
Daniel Kubler said: "Ryan gave him a beautiful ride and it all went very smoothly. He was very complimentary about him and said he has the pace for seven furlongs and would stay a mile, but a stiff mile might stretch him at this stage."
Amy Murphy's Pride Of America (3-1) ran out a wide-margin winner of the Boodles Raindance Handicap.
