Chester May Festival: Arrest aiming to make Derby case with 'plan C' trip to Chester Vase Stakes on Wednesday
Arrest and Adelaide River meet again in Boodles Chester Vase on Wednesday after finishing second and third, respectively, in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last year; watch the race live on Sky Sports Racing on Wednesday at 3.15pm
Tuesday 9 May 2023 14:53, UK
Arrest will put his Derby credentials to the test under Frankie Dettori in Wednesday's Boodles Chester Vase, with connections unsure if the tight track will suit the colt.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Frankel takes on four rivals in the extended mile-and-a-half Group Three contest, with the race considered "Plan C" after Sandown's Classic Trial was abandoned.
He opened his account at the second attempt in a mile maiden at the Esher track and, having subsequently won at Ffos Las, was beaten a head by Dubai Mile in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
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Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the Juddmonte operation, explained why the race is a third option.
"Chester is probably not his ideal track, but we were meant to go to Sandown and unfortunately it was abandoned with the rain," he said.
"The Vase was Plan C as originally we were going to the Dee Stakes [on Thursday], [but] the forecast is giving plenty of rain coming in on the Wednesday afternoon and night, so we said we'd go for the fresh ground on Wednesday.
"He is ready to run and we are hopeful he will run a nice race if he can handle the turns and undulations of Chester.
"Arrest is in good form. I saw him on Saturday and physically he's done well from two to three. He was a big frame last year and he is definitely a stronger horse this year.
"John and Thady said the other morning that the experience of Chester would do him good. If we ended up going to Epsom, he will have that under his belt.
"We have seen it in the last few years with Aidan (O'Brien) and Barry Hills before that, they all take them to Chester for the reason that they get that experience, with the crowd on top of them.
"We had two quiet days at Sandown and then at Ffos Las - not too many people and not too much happening.
"The travel to France has done him good. He has enough miles under his belt and hopefully he'll be able to handle it and the form with Dubai Mile looks good. He ran a good race in the Guineas when you look at his finishing position [fifth]."
There has been no more successful combination in the Chester Vase than jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien, who have won the race eight and 10 times respectively.
The partnership, successful last year with Changingoftheguard, rely on Adelaide River, runner-up in a pair of Group Threes last season before finishing third in the Saint-Cloud race.
Hadrianus, who was narrowly defeated by the Gosdens' Epictetus in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, Michael Bell's Duke Of Oxford, who is unbeaten after two all-weather runs, and the Andrew Balding-trained Galactic Jack complete the line-up.
