The hegemony of Ballydoyle in Chester seems to have no expiration date
- Turf Diario
- 8 may
- 2 Min. de lectura
The son of Galileo, owned by Coolmore, trained by Aidan O'Brien, and ridden by Ryan Moore, put on a show
CHICHESTER, England (Special to Turf Diario).— The hegemony of Ballydoyle at the Chester course seems to have no expiration date. In a new exhibition of class, the extraordinary Jan Brueghel confirmed that Aidan O'Brien's annual exam at the Roodeye is little more than a formality, claiming the Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes (G3), a traditional stamina test over 2600 meters. This extended an implacable streak of 11 consecutive stakes victories for the partnership of the trainer and Ryan Moore at this track.
The son of Galileo was reappearing after a long layoff since his fourth-place finish in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot. However, the lack of racing fitness was no impediment for the hero of the 2025 St Leger(G1) to prove that his class remains intact. Moore kept him in a patient sixth position during much of the journey, allowing his stablemate, Illinois (Galileo), to set the conditions at the front.
Upon entering the final stretch of the course, the 4-7 favorite began his progression. Although the initial response was not electric, once he straightened his line in the final straight, Jan Brueghel unleashed that devastating stride that characterizes him. With enviable authority, he dominated the scene to defeat Mount Atlas (Masar) by 2 1/2 lengths, while Illinois himself had to settle for third place.
"It was an even pace and he has a massive stride that he’s not afraid to use. He was entitled to win and Aidan brought him back in great shape," analyzed Ryan Moore after weighing in. For his part, Paul Smith, representing Coolmore, highlighted the bay's attitude: "He has a lot of talent; I loved the way he picked up the bit two furlongs from the wire. The next objective will be the Coronation Cup (G1)."
The immediate future for Jan Brueghel is already mapped out with a destination of the Epsom turf. There, he will seek to defend his crown in the aforementioned Coronation Cup—the same trophy he lifted last year after defeating the great Calandagan (Gleneagles) —an event that now boasts the backing of its owners and an increased purse of 1 million pounds sterling. With this victory, the maternal grandson of Danehill Dancer not only ruled out a trip to New York for the Belmont Gold Cup (G1) but also reaffirmed that he remains the great benchmark for staying distances on the old continent.
