Chester Vase – Aidan O’Brien saddles four of the eight runners in Thursday’s Group 3 event
O'Brien has an excellent record in the race and has won it a record seven times, including the last four years and he runs four colts in this year's renewal
AIDAN O'BRIEN saddles half the field in Thursday's Chester Vase.
O'Brien has won the race a record seven times, including the last four renewals.
The last horse to win this Group 3 before going on to claim Epsom glory the following month was Ruler Of The World in 2013.
This year O'Brien is represented by Finn McCool, The Anvil, Venice Beach and Wings Of Eagles. His son, Joseph, runs Druids Cross.
The biggest threat to the Irish could come from John Gosden's Cunco.
The son of Frankel made a successful start to his three-year-old campaign in the Sandown Classic Trial a fortnight ago.
Count Octave is stepped up in class by Andrew Balding after impressing at Wolverhampton and Saeed bin Suroor's runaway Newmarket scorer Tamleek completes the line-up.
Aidan O'Brien's Deauville heads a classy field of six runners for the Huxley Stakes.
A Grade 1 winner in America last summer, the four-year-old should be fitter for his recent comeback run in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown, when he finished second to Ulysses.
The ultra-consistent Folkswood is a major contender for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, while Sir Michael Stoute, successful 12 months ago with Cannock Chase, sends Poet's Word into battle.
Richard Fahey's Gabrial, Gosden's Royal Artillery and Snoano from Tim Easterby's yard are the other runners.