O'Brien And Moore Stay In Control With Illinois In The Ormonde

There wasn't a great deal left for Aidan O'Brien to achieve at Chester's marquee May Festival, but Thursday saw him register another historic feat as he completed an unprecedented clean sweep of the opening two day's black-type events. Already responsible for the winners of the G3 Chester Vase, Listed Cheshire Oaks and Listed Dee Stakes, all ridden by Ryan Moore, he was able to fulfil the quota with Illinois in the G3 Ormonde Stakes.

Sent off the 6-5 favourite having his first start of the season under a five-pound penalty, last year's G2 Queen's Vase winner and G1 St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris runner-up enjoyed a perfect lead from Al Qareem until being asked to take over two out. Gradually asserting from there, the half-brother to the Arc heroine Danedream stayed on to secure a 1 1/4-length success and round off a significant quadruple.

O'Brien, who has no runners in the meeting's remaining black-type race, the Huxley on Friday, was also gaining the outright record of seven wins in this time-honoured staging post for some of the season's key middle-distance performers and stayers. Following his own rare accomplishment, Moore said of the winner, who has multiple paths open to him in 2025, “He's a very good horse who didn't do anything wrong last year and is very consistent. He's a huge beast and very powerful. The ground was probably just a notch slower than ideal for him, but the well-run race has suited him. He'll definitely improve for the run.”

🏆 Ormonde Stakes
🏆 Dee Stakes
🏆 Cheshire Oaks
🏆 Chester Vase

A clean sweep of Stakes titles for Aidan and Ryan at @ChesterRaces so far… pic.twitter.com/qB1TVuRoOj

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 8, 2025

Pedigree Notes

The aforementioned German champion Danedream registered five wins at the highest level, proving her Arc victory was no fluke with success in the following year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The dam Danedrop also produced Galileo's G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Stakes winner Broadway and Venice Beach, who took the G3 Chester Vase at this meeting and like his latest full-sibling placed in the Grand Prix de Paris. Danedrop is also the second dam of last year's G3 Prix Vanteaux winner Dare To Dream, while Danedream's granddaughter Rouge Eveil by Just A Way has been placed in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and G1 Osaka Hai.

Illinois's third dam Lady Berry produced three group 1 scorers in the Prix Vermeille-winning champion Indian Rose, the Prix Ganay-winning sire Vert Amande and the Grand Prix de Paris-winning sire Le Nain Jaune. She is the ancestress of the Wertheimers' Groom Dancer, Plumania, Left Hand, Aventure and Double Major through her daughter Featherhill. Of the countless other pattern-race winners on the page are the Japanese champion Kinshasa No Kiseki by Fuji Kiseki and this stable's recent G3 Sandown Classic Trial winner Swagman by Wootton Bassett.

Thursday, Chester, Britain
LADBROKES BIG-VALUE YOU CAN BET ON ORMONDE STAKES-G3, £140,000, Chester, 5-8, 4yo/up, 13f 84yT, 2:55.74, gd.
1–ILLINOIS (IRE), 133, c, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Danedrop (Ire) (Broodmare Of The Year-Ger), by Danehill
     2nd Dam: Rose Bonbon (Fr), by High Top (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Lady Berry (Fr), by Violon D'Ingres (Fr)
O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £79,394. Lifetime Record: GSW & MG1SP-Fr, G1SP-Eng, GSP-Ire, 10-4-4-2, $908,467. *Full to Venice Beach (Ire), GSW-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $216,579; Full to Broadway (Ire), GSW-Ire; 1/2 to Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), Horse Of The Year-Ger, Champion 3-year-old Filly-Eur, G1SW-Eng, MG1SW-Ger, G1SW-Fr, GSW-Ity, $5,044,792. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Qareem (Ire), 131, g, 6, Awtaad (Ire)–Moqla (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). (27,000gns 2yo '21 TATAHI). O-Nick Bradley Racing 33, Burke & Partner; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-Karl Burke. £30,100.
3–Absurde (Fr), 128, g, 7, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Incroyable, by Singspiel (Ire).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€260,000 HRA '22 ARQJUL). O-H O S Syndicate; B-Wertheimer et Frere (FR); T-Willie Mullins. £15,064.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.20, 7.00, 1.88.
Also Ran: Mondo Man (GB), Mount Atlas (GB), Roaring Legend (Fr).