Harbinger to take Ormonde Stakes

By Stephen Dwyer

The £75,000 Group 3 Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes is the highlight of today’s competitive Chester card. In the race, Sir Michael Stoute’s Harbinger will be looking for his second win of this season’s campaign following an impressive display last time out at Newbury when winning the Group 3 John Porter Stakes. That race panned out perfectly, he made steady headway through the large field of runners to lead from a furlong out and then ran on strongly for Ryan Moore to win by three lengths. The imposing son of Champion Sire Dansili will be very hard to beat today despite a three pound penalty.

Chester is the both the oldest and smallest racecourse in Britain, it is a natural amphitheatre and not every horse takes to its tight brandy bowl shape. Known also as “the Roodee” course, it can be significant to follow horses with form at Chester. Harbinger has won at Chester before; a year ago he won his maiden at the track over 1m2f. He was 6/4 favourite that day and scored by three lengths from Aidan O’Brien’s Changingoftheguard who went on to be very useful, second when well supported in the Ebor and running a respectable race in the St. Ledger.

Harbinger heads a quality field of six today. Age Of Aquarius is the obvious threat, but one that could surprise could be Munsef. Trained by Ian Williams, he is a previous course and distance winner and he also won at the course over 1m2f. Now a veteran at eight, he was last seen out in England 240 days ago but has since ran in Australia where he finished down the field in the Melbourne Cup. His owner, Dr Marwan Koukash expects a good run. He has changed hands more than once during his long career and is currently trained by an up and coming stable in the shape of Ian Williams.

Age Of Aquarius, a Galileo colt, like Munsef, is most likely improve for the run but may be vulnerable today. There is no doubt he is a high class horse, he finished second to Cavalryman on his last run as a 3 year-old at Longchamp in the Group 1 Juddmonte Grand Prix De Paris. Age Of Aquarius and Harbinger were due to clash in last year’s St. Leger but that failed to materialise however and it will be interesting to see how O’Brien’s colt has matured over the winter.

It is worth noting that Aidan O’Brien’s runners first time out this season have a poor strike rate, fancied runners Mikhail Glinka (11/10 favourite in the Ballysax stakes) Devoted To You (2/1 favourite in The Lodge Park Stakes) and of course lest we forget the 2000 Guineas even money favourite, St Nicholas Abbey were all beaten first time out. Classier colts than Age Of Aquarius were, it has to be said.

Harbinger is highly thought of, he may indeed be well better than a Group 3 horse and should he win today do not rule out a tilt at the Coronation Cup. He has a bright, positive attitude and is a good galloper. On the ground, over the trip, against the opposition he faces, today should be a pedestal onto better things.

I fully expect him to win.

By Stephen Dwyer