Chester report: Star Of India joins O'Brien Derby team
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Star Of India and Ryan Moore win The Homeserve Dee Stakes (focusonracing.com)
Star Of India displayed a willing attitude to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with a ninth victory in the Homeserve Dee Stakes at Chester.
Gypsy King (2005), Magician (2013) and Circus Maximus (2019) are among the Ballydoyle handler’s previous winners of the Derby trial on the Roodee.
His latest challenger, who won his only juvenile start at Leopardstown in October, was the 6-4 favourite off the back of finishing fifth in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago.
Stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time, Star Of India slightly missed the break and had to be bustled along by Ryan Moore before taking his position on the heels of the pacesetting Mr McCann.
The latter remined in front at the top of the short straight, but the further Star Of India went the better he looked and he passed the post with two and a quarter lengths in hand.
Cresta came through to fill the runner-up spot, with Mr McCann – who counts Liverpool stars James Milner, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson among his owners – fading into fifth.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 20-1 from 33-1 for the Cazoo Derby at Epsom. O’Brien also houses ante-post favourite Luxembourg and another leading contender in Wednesday’s Chester Vase winner Changingoftheguard.
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.”
When asked if either would compare favourably to Luxembourg, Moore gave a wry smile, shook his head, and walked into the weighing room.
O'Brien said: "It looked like he was learning all the time, it was only his third run. We were hopeful he'd stay and looking at that he's stayed 10 furlongs very well indeed.
"It looked like the further he went the better, and he seemed to handle the track well enough. You'd have to say after that he's done enough to be on the Epsom team, definitely."
Hamish is hero in Ormonde
The lightly-raced Hamish stamped his class on the tote.co.uk Proud To Support Chester Racecourse Ormonde Stakes.
The William Haggas-trained six-year-old won three times during his debut season in 2019, but made it to the racecourse just once the following year and ran only three times last term.
Making his first competitive appearance since November, Hamish was a 9-2 shot under Tom Marquand, with Ralph Beckett’s high-class mare Albaflora all the rage as the 10-11 favourite.
The blinkered Thunderous took the field along for much of the extended one-mile-five-furlong contest and was still in there pitching rounding the home turn.
But Hamish picked up well in the straight to beat the brave pacesetter by three-quarters of a length.
After travelling well for a long way, Albaflora found disappointingly little after coming under pressure and was ultimately well beaten in fifth place.
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 holds an entry in the Paddy Power Yorkshire Cup on Friday week, but is more likely to be saved for a potential appearance at Royal Ascot.
“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,” Haggas.
“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.”
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Moore hits them for six
Temple Of Artemis provided Ryan Moore with his sixth winner in just two days at Chester as the Derby entry got off the mark at the fourth time of asking in the Roofing Consultants Group Handicap.
Having won both Classic trials on Wednesday on Changingoftheguard and Thoughts Of June, as well as winning on the sprinter Live In The Dream, he scored on the second day with Outgate before Aidan O’Brien provided him with another two winners.
Star Of India justified 6-4 favouritism in the Dee Stakes, booking his ticket for Epsom in the process, and while Temple Of Artemis was only winning off a mark of 88, the fact remains that O’Brien left him in the Epsom Classic at the latest forfeit stage.
Having seen off Trojan Horse, the Galileo colt had to be brave as the 9-4 favourite to hold off the late surge of Mr Alan by half a length with Paddy Power cutting the winner to 33-1 from 66s for the blue riband.
“You’d have to be happy with that, I didn’t really get too many words off Ryan but he did what we’d hoped he would,” said Kevin Buckley, Coolmore’s UK representative.
“Aidan was confident he’d step up for a mile and a half, which he did, he’ll learn a lot from that and we couldn’t be happier.
“The decision by everyone will be taken where he goes next, but the fact Aidan even left him in the Derby tells you what he thinks of the horse. It was nice for him to do that.
“He’s also a full-brother to Kingfisher, who won the Dee Stakes on this day in 2014.”
Moore lit up the Roodee on day one with a couple of front-running rides but he was content to take a lead on Outgate before striking for home in the Deepbridge Handicap.
Settled just behind the leader Value Theory, when they reached the cutaway in the straight Moore had plenty of horse underneath him to be able to strike for home and the 9-4 favourite looks a promising type for Daniel and Claire Kubler.
“Ryan gave him a beautiful ride and it all went very smoothly,” said Daniel Kubler. 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.”
Look Out Louis clings on
Look Out Louis is a tough and reliable sprinter and gained another success in the ICM Stellar Sports Handicap at Chester.
The six-year-old, who joined Julie Camacho from Tim Easterby in October 2020, has seemingly found a new lease of life this spring.
After two good runs on the all-weather he reappeared with a promising effort at Newmarket and as a previous course winner with a low draw, he looked one of the most likely winners on paper.
Militia broke best, giving Look Out Louis (2-1 favourite) a tow into the straight and it all looked very straightforward – and it was until Count D’Orsay closed to within a head at the line.
Jockey Jason 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.”
America rules
Amy Murphy has been busier in France than the UK in the opening weeks of the season but proved she is a trainer for all seasons as Pride Of America (3-1) blitzed his rivals in the Boodles Raindance Handicap
Ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, who is no stranger to employing those tactics on the Roodee, the five-year-old bounded out of the stalls and never saw another runner.
“I’m delighted. He’s a lovely horse and I’m very lucky to have been sent him,” said Murphy.
“We got him in December and we’ve brought him back slowly and now we’re reaping the rewards.
“Today was Plan A and we’ll go back and have a think about where to go next.”
Dilemma impresses
David Evans will consider Royal Ascot for his two-year-old Democracy Dilemma (11-2) who put his experience to good use in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden.
“I don’t know how good the race was, but we could take him to Ascot for a day out,” said Evans.
“There might be something before Ascot for him, I’d imagine we’ll take him.”
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