Hats Off?

The Queen's Dartmouth | Racing Post

With five winners in Chester's G3 Boodles Diamond Ormonde S., Sir Michael Stoute has the opportunity to set the outright record on Friday with a royal runner as The Queen's Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) starts as a warm favourite. Coming of age when winning the G3 John Porter S.–which was switched from Newbury's waterlogged turf to Chelmsford's Polytrack and staged over an extended 13 furlongs from its customary mile-and-a-half trip–on his seasonal debut Apr. 16, the Darley-bred, who was previously third in Kempton's Listed Floodlit S. over 12 furlongs in November, meets nothing of major import in a weak renewal of this race.

“He is looking a big improver this year and has developed into quite an important 4-year-old,” The Queen's racing manager, John Warren, said. “Like all these horses we are still on a learning curve of their ability, and it is another step forward into finding out how far he can go.”

Irish representation is made up of Michael Tabor's Father Christmas (Ire) (Bernardini), who has not been seen since finishing third in the G2 King Edward VII S. over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot last June, but who must be respected from Ballydoyle, and the dual-purpose performer Wicklow Brave (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). He was third in the G1 Irish St Leger over 14 furlongs at The Curragh in September and in Ascot's two-mile G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup before switching back to hurdles, and comes here on the back of a lay-off having been third again in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November.

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