By Sean Cronin
Ballydoyle has once again passed its annual check-up with Dr Chester and Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of black-type contests at the Roodeye after TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Galileo) increased the trainer's record haul to eight in the extended 13-furlong stamina test.
O'Brien and Ryan Moore, when partnering up, have registered 11 consecutive wins at the track and the G1 St Leger and G1 Coronation Cup hero will defend his title in the latter event, skipping the opportunity of utilising his free ticket to next month's GII Belmont Gold Cup.
“Obviously, he hadn't run for a long time and the plan was to go back to Epsom with him after this,” the winning trainer said. “He enjoyed Epsom last year in the Coronation [Cup] and he was very good there, so it makes sense to go back there. Coolmore sponsor it now as well so that's nice.”
Ryan Moore, matching O'Brien with a record-extending eighth win of his own, added, “He has a good record, he's a [St] Leger winner and he won a Coronation [Cup]. Things went wrong for him in the King George and it was nice to get him back today in good form.”
Coolmore representative Paul Smith was in attendance and commented, “He's talented and I loved the way he grabbed the bridle there about two out and quicken through the horses. Ryan was delighted with him and it was good to see him back. He's a great horse to have around, he's a character and a beautiful individual. He's very talented.”
Off the track since finishing fourth in Ascot's G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Jan Brueghel was settled off the pace and positioned in sixth, with just one behind, passing the judge first time.
The 4-7 favourite made his forward run inside the last half-mile and, having swooped for the lead entering the final furlong, was ridden out to defeat the running-on Mount Atlas (Masar) by a decisive 2 1/2 lengths. The winner's stablemate and last year's hero Illinois (Galileo) attempted to make all and was 2 3/4 lengths further adrift in third.
Jan Brueghel storms to success in the Ormonde Stakes! 🤩
The five-year-old had to wait for the gaps but comes readily clear of his rivals in the straight to score impressively…@ChesterRaces pic.twitter.com/yCEm1GgVkN
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 7, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Jan Brueghel is the ninth of one dozen foals and one of eight scorers out of G2 Debutante Stakes and G3 Park Express Stakes placegetter Devoted To You (Danehill Dancer).
His dam is kin to a sextet of black-type performers, headed by GIII Honeybee Stakes victrix Humble Eight (Seattle Battle), while the second dam Alleged Devotion (Alleged) is a half-sister to G1 Oaks and G1 Irish Derby heroine Balanchine (Storm Bird).
The winner is a full-brother to G1 Irish Derby hero Sovereign and Group 3-winning G1 Irish St Leger third Dawn Rising. He is also kin to the unraced two-year-old filly Amorini (Wootton Bassett) and a yearling colt by Camelot.
Thursday, Chester, Britain
LADBROKES ORMONDE STAKES-G3, £150,000, Chester, 5-7, 4yo/up, 13f 84yT, 2:48.26, gd.
1–JAN BRUEGHEL (IRE), 128, h, 5, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Devoted To You (Ire) (MGSP-Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Alleged Devotion, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Morning Devotion, by Affirmed
TDN Rising Star. O-Westerberg, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Barronstown Stud; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £85,065. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng & GSW-Ire, 8-6-1-0, $1,343,829. *Full to Sovereign (Ire), G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng; and Dawn Rising (Ire), GSW & G1SP-Ire, GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mount Atlas (GB), 128, g, 5, Masar (Ire)–Highland Pass (GB), by Passing Glance (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Kingsclere Racing Club; T-Andrew Balding. £32,250.
3–Illinois (Ire), 128, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Danedrop (Ire), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien. £16,140.
Margins: 2HF, 2 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.57, 10.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Sons And Lovers (GB), Al Qareem (Ire), Beylerbeyi (GB), Real Dream (Ire). Scratched: Rahiebb (GB).
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