Point Lonsdale secured his second career victory at Chester's May Festival with a dominant display in the tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes.
Winner of the Huxley Stakes over a mile and a quarter 12 months ago, Aidan O’Brien’s charge went on to run with credit in a series of Group One races, including when third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and fourth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Having struggled over a mile and a half in Qatar and Dubai earlier in the year, the five-year-old was stepped up to almost a mile and three-quarters for a Group Three contest his trainer had already won on five occasions.
The 13-8 favourite looked to be moving as fast he could for much of the the race, with Melbourne Cup fourth Deauville Legend going a solid gallop in front in first-time blinkers.
However, he was a spent force from the home turn and Point Lonsdale soon took over and asserted, pulling six and a half lengths clear of a keeping-on Arrest at the line to complete a treble on the card for jockey Ryan Moore.
Alsakib was another to make late gains in third, with Deauville Legend weakening 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 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."
Capulet strengthened Aidan O'Brien’s Derby hand with a front-running victory in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes.
The Ballydoyle handler will have plenty to choose from in a bid for a 10th victory in the premier Classic at Epsom on 1 June, with City Of Troy seemingly still the stable’s first string despite his disappointing run in the 2000 Guineas last weekend.
Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez and Los Angeles are others in the mix at this stage – and Capulet threw his hat into the ring by providing his trainer with a joint-record 11th win in this trial.
Given a typically well-executed ride from the front by Ryan Moore, the 7-2 shot steadily raised the tempo and took a couple of lengths out of the chasing favourite Jayarebe from the home turn.
The Richard Hughes-trained Bracken’s Laugh, who had beaten the winner in a valuable conditions race on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month, came from further back to throw down a major challenge, but Capulet was not for passing on this occasion and was half a length in front at the line.
Paul 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."
Moore 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."
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