Constitution River wins Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes

Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes

Listed, Chester 14:35 (off at 15:41)
£100,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 2f 70y, Class 1

Thursday 7th May 2026

1 Constitution River 2/9F
2 Generic 22/1
3 Golden Story 10/1
5 ran NR: Morshdi Distances: 7l, 2¾l, nk
Time: 2m 6.54s (fast by 2.16s)

Another trial win for Ballydoyle!

CONSTITUTION RIVER wins the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4eJeSr2S03
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 7, 2026

Aidan O’Brien continued his commanding run through the Chester Classic trials as Constitution River produced a polished and authoritative display on the Roodee.

The contest took place against the backdrop of a controversial afternoon, with racing delayed by more than an hour following a track inspection, while the withdrawal of William Haggas’ Morshdi over concerns regarding the ground further altered the complexion of the Derby trial.

O’Brien had no such reservations with Constitution River and, following victories earlier in the week in the Cheshire Oaks and Chester Vase, the Ballydoyle operation once again emerged on top.

Sent off the 2/9 favourite, the son of Wootton Bassett travelled with complete assurance under Ryan Moore, handling Chester’s demanding turns with far greater fluency than several of his rivals.

While Golden Story struggled to adapt to the track’s unique challenges, Constitution River moved through the race effortlessly, travelling strongly before stretching clear in the straight to beat Generic by seven lengths.

Moore said: “He’s a gorgeous horse with very smart form as a juvenile. He had a slight setback and had to miss the end of the year, but he will improve for this race and gave me a lovely feel and I think he’s an exciting horse.

“He’s probably fine at 10 furlongs, but I would say he would have no problem going up in trip and there’s plenty of options open to him.”

Following the performance, Betfred introduced Constitution River at 7/1 for the Derby, although O’Brien has previously suggested the French equivalent could also come under consideration. The colt additionally holds an entry for the St James’s Palace Stakes back over a mile at Royal Ascot.

Paul Smith of Coolmore said: “You couldn’t be more happy really. He did it well on his first run for a long time and there was a lot of freshness there, but he’s a good looking lad who ticks a lot of boxes. We’re excited.

“We’re going to have all the trials over the next week then sit down and decide who goes where.

“I think 10 furlongs, 12 furlongs or a mile, all the options are there and Ryan was delighted with him. Hopefully all the horses this week will bounce out of their races well and can be ready to run wherever next month.

“He has the St James’s Palace entry and he seems to quicken well so I guess you could drop him back if you wanted to. It’s just what the team want to do with him really.”