Jooste runner in Chester Group3

What a nice run!!!

I think Barry's horse was very unlucky, slowish pace, checked in the straight and run on well.

Southeaster might run in the Derby, can you imagine an Investec winner in the Investec Epsom Derby!

Objection 2nd against 1st

William Haggas' maiden South Easter won a thrilling renewal of the Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes at Chester.

While the fact that the first four home were covered by around a length probably makes the form slightly questionable, nothing can be taken away from the attitude of the winner.

Deposer set only a steady gallop and Robert Winston wound it up from half a mile out.

Gitano Hernando held chances on the rail while Johnny Murtagh brought the favourite Drumbeat from the rear with a rattle, but it was Neil Callan on 6-1 shot South Easter who narrowly prevailed by a head.

Gitano Hernando was second with Drumbeat third and Deposer fourth.

An objection to the winner was lodged by John Egan, rider of the runner-up.

However, the placings remained unaltered and Haggas said: "It was a good run. He's green but he's going to be a nice horse."

As for running in the Derby, the Newmarket trainer told added: "The part-owner (Bernard Kantor) is the power behind Investec who now sponsor the Derby. I'll guess we'll have to talk about it over a good dinner.

"He's a realist. If it's right for the horse then he'd love to have a crack, I'm sure, but if it's not right for the horse he wouldn't dream of it."

Callan added: "I felt I kept pretty much straight. It got a little bit tight, everybody came together the last 50 yards, but my fella has only had the one run so he was always going to be a little bit green.

"He's done his job well and what I really like about him is that he's got such a good head carriage and he gets himself well-balanced so I think he will improve a lot for this as well.

"I really liked him first time. There's more improvement to him but the Derby I don't know.

"We were just a little bit worried about the fast ground as well. He handled it pretty well and he's got a lovely action."

The winner was given a 33-1 quote for the Derby by Victor Chandler who reported laying a £1,000 bet each-way at 50-1 before the race. Paddy Power go 33-1 but Sky Bet still offer 50s.

Spokesman Matt Doyle said: "Although the winner is in the Derby, he is not certain to run and it was excellent placing by the trainer, who had considered a maiden at the meeting before gambling on the big pot in the weakened group three contest."

Congrats to Marcus and Bernard!!

Not a pic of the dee stakes but love the pic

Dee Stakes winner South Easter 33-1 for Derby


SOUTH EASTER, who survived a stewards' inquiry after victory in the Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes at Chester on Friday, was introduced as a 33-1 chance for the Investec Derby by Paddy Power and Boylesports.

The William Haggas-trained colt was also cut to 50-1 (from 100) by Stan James, while William Hill and Sky Bet went that price on their first shows. Drumbeat, beaten into third in the Dee, is into 50-1 (from 66) with Stan James.

Another Chester winner being supported for the Epsom Classic is Harbinger, who saw off Changingoftheguard in a maiden on Wednesday. The son of Dansili is 20-1 (from 25) with Victor Chandler.

That firm also shortened Patkai for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Like Harbinger, Patkai is trained by Sir Michael Stoute and is now 5-2 favourite (from 7-2) for the Group 1 marathon.

We were happy with our colt's race.

Now it's on to the Belmont Stakes, where he figures to have a good chance if he takes to the dirt.

I think he will.

I used to own his fourth dam, Hanina, who produced the English 1,000 Guineas winner Mrs McArdy.

Nice win for Kantor and Jooste with a very progressive and talented colt.

Murtagh jeered after Ormonde Stakes fiasco


JOHNNY MURTAGH was jeered by racegoers after he finished last of three on Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire in a farcical running of the Betchronicle.com Ormonde Stakes at Chester on Friday.



Murtagh and his two rival riders, Richard Hughes on Scintillo and William Buick on Buccellati, virtually stopped to a walk on their mounts after breaking from the stalls in the 1m5½f contest, until Buick sent Buccellati to the front to set a slow pace.

The race developed into a sprint in the closing stages, with Buccellati holding off Scintillo and Frozen Fire, the 8-11 favourite, outpaced in third.

Some punters gave Murtagh an angry reception, a day after the same rider had been caught out on the fast-finishing Masterofthehorse by stablemate Golden Sword in the Chester Vase.

The three-time Derby-winning jockey defended his decision not to take up the running on Frozen Fire in a contest reduced to three runners following five withdrawals on the day of the race.

Speaking on Channel 4 Racing, he said: "He's nota horse that runs from the front. I don't think it would have suited him being in front. I did think after a furlong that I should go on, but then I said ‘no'.

"Today it didn't work. You have to make decisions.Maybe I made the wrong one day. It probably wasn't the right decision today.

"People are entitled to be upset and disappointed. I always do my best every day. I went out there with the best intentions, but things just didn't fallinto place."

Buccellati crossed the line in a time of 3min 45.91sec, a full minute outside the course record and only just over 18 seconds quicker than the time posted by Daraahem when he won Wednesday's Chester Cup over5f further.

Winning trainer Andrew Balding said: "Nobody wanted to make it and we certainly didn't, but Will had enough sense to take the bull by the horns. He likes to be held up but he had to go on.

"We fancied him whatever way it was run and he will probably go for the Coronation Cup now.

Well done Barry..your horse I think has a lot more to come.

another pic: Southeaster scapes home

Hibernia, where did that pic come from? Thanks.

Barry Irwin Wrote:

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> Hibernia, where did that pic come from? Thanks

found/borrowed/stole from yahoo

Gitano Hernando set for Belmont Stakes


USA: Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes runner-up Gitano Hernando will run in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown on Derby day, June 6.

Barry Irwin of owners Team Valor confirmed the plan for the Marco Botti-trained son of Hernando, narrowly beaten by South Easter in the Group 3 Chester trial on Thursday.

"We chose the Dee because it was used by My Memoirs before he ran second to A.P. Indy in the 1992 Belmont," said Irwin.

"The colt has never run on dirt, but he will breeze at least twice in the next three weeks on the sand at Lingfield."

Gitano Hernando was purchased by Team Valor International after breaking his duck on the all-weather at Wolverhampton last year on his third start.

His rivals in the New York Classic appear unlikely to include Florida Derby winner Quality Road after yet another setback.

One-time ante-post favourite for the Kentucky Derby, Quality Road missed the race owing to a quarter-crack.

An abscess has now popped out near the area where the crack is located and Quality Road is being treated with antibiotics.