Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks
Fillies' Listed, Chester 14:25
£76,000 added,
3yo only,
1m 3f 75y, Class 1   
Wednesday 9th May 2018

1 Magic Wand 3/1F
2 Forever Together 11/2
3 Princess Yaiza 9/1
10 ran Distances: 3½l, ½l, 5l
Time: 2m 28.61s (slow by 6.11s)

Magic Wand gives Aidan O'Brien a 6th Cheshire Oaks! Great front running performance from Ryan Moore

Magic Wand
Magic Wand

One of three contenders for Aidan O’Brien, Magic Wand arrived a maiden after two runs but she benefited from an excellent pace-setting ride in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Smartly away on the rail, Moore made the most of his plum draw and could be called the winner at the top of the straight, winning by three and a half lengths as the 3-1 favourite.

O’Brien’s second string Forever Together took the runner-up spot after suffering a troubled passed, with another Irish raider, Princess Yaiza, third for Gavin Cromwell.

Moore said: “She was very smooth. Obviously she had the one stall and she got away well.

“She had a good look all the way round there. She was looking at a car in front of her – there’s a lot to look at here.

“She will carry on improving. This was a big step up from her last run and these fillies at this time of year should be improving and I’m sure she will.”

Kevin Buckley, Coolmore’s UK representative, said: “Obviously we’re very pleased with that, it was just her second run of the season and she’s improving all the time.

“She’s a big, scopey filly and will have learned a lot there. Ryan got a really good feel from her.

“As a half-sister to Chicquita (Irish Oaks winner), you’d think she’d have no problem staying further, so it bodes well for Epsom, trip-wise.

“That performance definitely puts her in the picture.”

Of the runner-up, Buckley said: “We were very pleased with her, that was just her first run of the year. She’s a sister to Together Forever (Group One winner) and you’d have to be happy.

“Donnacha (O’Brien) was very complimentary about her.”

Cromwell said of the third: “I’m happy enough, she’s done well to get third from that draw (10).

“The ground was quick enough for her and she’ll probably go to Gowran at the end of the month for a Listed race. The winner won well.”

Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks
(Robert Sangster Memorial Cup) (Fillies' Listed)
£76,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 3f 75y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good

Pos Dr D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st (1) Magic Wand (IRE) 3/1f R L Moore
9-0
A P O'Brien 3
2nd (3) Forever Together (IRE) 11/2 D O'Brien
9-0
A P O'Brien 3
3rd (10) ½ Princess Yaiza (IRE) 9/1 F Norton
9-0
G P Cromwell 3
4th (4) 5 Shailene (IRE) 16/1 David Probert
9-0
A M Balding 3
5th (2) 4 Shaherezada (IRE) 6/1 Andrea Atzeni
9-0
R Varian 3
6th (6) Hazarfiya 14/1 James Doyle
9-0
Sir Michael Stoute 3
7th (8) Dramatically (USA) 16/1 J A Heffernan
9-0
A P O'Brien 3
8th (7) nk Here's Alice (IRE) 25/1 P McDonald
9-0
C Hills 3
9th (5) ½ Award Winning (IRE) 7/1 L Dettori
9-0
J H M Gosden 3
10th (9) 27 Kinaesthesia 5/1 Oisin Murphy
9-0
R M Beckett 3

Odds catcher