Chester May Festival 2024: Capulet wins the Dee Stakes

Capulet (7-2) gave trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-equalling 11th victory in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes on day two of the Boodles Chester May Festival. And with success in the Listed contest on the Roodee the three-year-old may have booked his ticket to next month's Betfred Derby at Epsom, for which he is a best-priced 14-1.

The three-year-old son of American Triple Crown hero Justify, who was beaten half-a-length by stable-mate Diego Velazquez in the Group Two KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown last September, took the extended 1m2f contest by three-quarter-of-a-length, under Ryan Moore, from Bracken's Laugh (11-2)

The Ballydoyle maestro will have a strong team as he bids for is a 10th victory in the premier Classic at Epsom on June 1. His 2,000 Guineas flop City Of Troy is now back into favouritism at around 9-2 having been pushed out to 8-1 following his Newmarket disappointment last weekend. But Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez, Ilinois – who runs in Saturday's Lingfield Derby Trial – and Los Angeles are others possible contenders for O'Brien at Epsom. And Capulet could join them having helped his trainer to draw level with Barry Hills with a record-equalling 11th victory in the Derby trial on the Roodee. He led from start to finish, under Moore, and won a shade cosily from the Richard Hughes-trained Bracken's Laugh, who had beaten the winner in a conditions race on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month.

Coolmore's Paul Smith, son of fellow 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."

On City Of Troy, Smith added: "Aidan is happy with him and all roads now lead to the Derby with him."

On Capulet, winning rider Moore – who had a treble on the second day of the May meeting – 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."

O'Brien landed a big-race double at Chester with Point Lonsdale (13-8 favourite) winning the Group Three feature, the tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes. O'Brien's five-year-old won the Huxley Stakes over an extended 1m2f at this meeting last year and although things didn't go to plan afterwards as he returned to Group One company, he is set to be challenging at the top level again following another victory on the Roodee. Under Ryan Moore, Point Lonsdale sat just off the pace set by Melbourne Cup fourth Deauville Legend. But he moved through to lead after the turn for home and pulled clear to score by six-and-a-half lengths from the staying-on Arrest (11-4). Alsakib was third, with Deauville Legend weakening into fourth.

Point Lonsdale was third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom last season and may head back there at the end of this month or he could wait for next month's Royal Ascot for another crack at Group One level, possibly even stepping up in trip again for the Ascot Gold Cup.

One of his Coolmore owners Paul Smith said: "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."

Trainer O'Brien was not at Chester, but speaking from his Ballydoyle yard he added: "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."

On runner-up Arrest, who had been a runaway winner of the Chester Vase at last year's meeting, trainer John Gosden said: "He ran great, but the ground has dried up too much for him. He just wasn't in love with the ground, unfortunately."

Democracy Dilemma (11-4 favourite) just get his head in front to win the opener on the second day at Chester, the CAA Stellar Handicap. The Robert Cowell-trained four-year-old was always close up, under Tom Marquand, just off the pace in the five-furlong sprint. He made his move a furlong out and in a three-way finish just got the better of Copper Knight (12-1) by a neck with Vintage Clarets (8-1) a nose back in third.

Winning jockey 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."

Karl Burke's Teej A (4-1) won the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes. The two-year-old Mehmaas filly, who was second on her second on her debut at Nottingham last month, went one better to break her duck on the Roodee. With the plum draw in stall one she sat just off the pace set by Passing Phase, waiting for the cut-away to arrive. Once that gap appeared, under Clifford Lee, she burst through to lead on the rail and came home a fine two-and-a-quarter length winner of the six-furlong sprint ahead of Rashabar (3-1 favourite). The Flying Seagull (6-1) was a further neck back in third.

Winning jockey Lee said: "It went pretty much according to plan to be honest. 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."

Never So Brave (evens favourite) gave Sir Michael Stoute just his second winner of the season in the Halliwell Jones Handicap. The three-year-old, under Ryan Moore, scored by two lengths from Witness Stand (22-1). Owner Saeed Suhail's assistant racing manager Philip Robinson indicated a trip to Royal Ascot could be next for the No Nay Never colt.

Robinson said: "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. 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."