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Macarthur goes clear

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Hopes are high that Macarthur can start to fulfill his undoubted potential after the four-year-old justified 9/4 favouritism in the Blue Square Ormonde Stakes at Chester on Friday.

The Ballydoyle colt, who had a truncated four-race campaign in 2007, stepped up on a disappointing reappearance to slam his rivals in the Group 3 contest.

Johnny Murtagh settled his mount just behind the leaders and was in the perfect position to challenge coming off the home turn.

Macarthur took over with a little over a furlong to run and lengthened in fetching style to inflict a four-length defeat on 22-1 chance Supersonic Dave.

Carte Diamond made much of the running and stuck on well for third, while John Gosden's Raincoat had to snatch up badly when running into trouble late on.

"Aidan (O'Brien) said he had improved a lot from his run at the Curragh and he suited the track - he's got plenty of gears," Murtagh said.

"When we got to the false rail it opened up and for a horse to quicken like that at the end of a mile and five, he must be a nice horse.

"The ground has been very bad this spring but he loved the ground here today and he's a high-class horse. I think he has a big future.

"He's got the pedigree, he's a full brother to Motivator so hopefully he can win a Group One like him."