tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes |
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| Group 3, Chester 15:40 £140,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 5f 84y, Class 1  |
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1 Point Lonsdale 13/8F
2
Arrest 11/4
3
Alsakib 4/1
6 ran NR: Wynter Wildes Distances: 6½l, ¾l, ½l
Time: 2m 49.17s (fast by 2.03s)
It's a hat-trick for Ryan Moore 3⃣
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2024
A convincing win for Point Lonsdale in the https://t.co/RYLCbI3ImR Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes 😅#ITVRacing | #BoodlesMayFestival | @ChesterRaces pic.twitter.com/mXPedYHtPQ
Point Lonsdale secured his second career victory with a dominant display at Chester.
The five-year-old, winner of the Huxley Stakes over a mile and a quarter 12 months ago, continued to impress by running well in a series of Group One races, including a third-place finish in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and a fourth-place finish in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
After struggling over a mile and a half in Qatar and Dubai earlier in the year, Point Lonsdale faced a stamina test when stepped up to almost a mile and three-quarters for a Group Three contest. The race unfolded with the 13-8 favorite moving as fast as possible, while Deauville Legend, fourth in the Melbourne Cup, set a solid gallop in front wearing first-time blinkers.
As they turned for home, Point Lonsdale surged ahead, pulling six and a half lengths clear of the chasing Arrest to complete a treble on the card for jockey Ryan Moore.
Alsakib made late gains to finish third, while Deauville Legend weakened into fourth.
Coolmore’s Paul Smith said of the winner: “We’re delighted with him, as he’s such a versatile horse. You could step him up for a Gold Cup or run him in something like the Coronation at Epsom or go to Ascot with him, you can do anything.
“He’s a pleasure to have anything to do with. He relished that step up in trip today so he could run in something like the Gold Cup, he’s enthusiastic and just does what you tell him to do. I think he enjoyed that today, it’s lovely good ground. We’ll make a plan in a couple of weeks.”
John Gosden felt conditions had proved the undoing of St Leger runner-up Arrest, who impressed here last year in the taking the Vase in very different weather.
“He ran great, but the ground has dried up too much for him,” said Gosden.
“He just wasn’t in love with the ground, unfortunately.”
O’Brien was not at Chester, but speaking from his Ballydoyle yard he said of the winner: “He’s such a lovely horse, so honest and genuine.
“You can run him over all sorts of trips, he’s comfortable at 10 furlongs, today was the furthest he’s gone but he could even get further.
“What today has done is open up all sorts of options. He could drop back to 10 for a Tattersalls Gold Cup, go to the Coronation at Epsom over a mile and a half, the Hardwicke at Ascot or even the Gold Cup, all those sorts of races.
“Horses like him are great to have around, he’s tough, genuine and versatile.”
Chester Ormonde Stakes (Group 3)
£140,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 5f 84y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4) Point Lonsdale 5 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 13/8F
2 (6) 6½ Arrest 4 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Kieran Shoemark 11/4
3 (7) ¾ Alsakib 4 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 4/1
4 (5) ½ Deauville Legend 5 9-2 James Ferguson Daniel Muscutt 6/1
5 (1) 17 Enemy 7 9-2 Ian Williams Richard Kingscote 10/1
6 (2) 11 L'Astronome 5 9-2 Hugo Palmer Jason Hart 40/1
NR 7 (3) Wynter Wildes 5 8-13 Charlie Fellowes NON RUNNER
