Fortune soldiers on for Vase success

Solider Of Fortune laid bare his Vodafone Derby claims with a gritty success in the MBNA Chester Vase on the Roodee.

Aidan O’Brien’s raider was successful in Group company in France last month and the son of Galileo, who chased home Oaks favourite Passage Of Time as a juvenile, registered a double in the four-runner contest.

The 4-9 favourite was held up for much of the race but challenged Sir Michael Stoute’s Arabian Gulf flashing past the furlong pole.

The pair scrapped it out right to the wire but Mick Kinane’s mount came with a sustained effort during the closing stages.

However, it was only in the shadow of the post that he stuck his head in front for a short-head verdict.

The winner was left unchanged in some Epsom ante-post lists, with Blue Square and Ladbrokes offering 14-1 and Coral and totesport 16s.

VC Bet cut Soldier Of Fortune to 10-1 from 14-1 for the Derby and slashed the runner-up to 20-1 from 50s.

Kinane said: “The 4lb penalty was an ask but it was a true-run race and the second horse has kept on going to his credit.

“That was a good a trial as has been ran so far, and it was set up nicely for me.

“I thought coming off the bend that he would go and win a couple of lengths and find more, but he did knuckle down well.

“This horse has done well and he’s improving all the time.

“It was a decent performance and he’s a horse who would run well in the Derby and he would handle Epsom.

“He’s an improving horse. Every day he takes a step forward and when you’ve a three-year-old like that, you have to respect him.”

Coolmore’s Tim Corballis added: “That was a good trial. We’ll have to talk to Aidan now and see where we go.”

Teddy Grimthorpe, Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager, said of Arabian Gulf: “That was only his third race so he will have learned a lot there.

“We will see what happens in the next few weeks before deciding about the Derby.”

Maraahel made virtually all the running to land the Group Three Akkroball Huxley Stakes for the third consecutive year.

Stoute’s six-year-old faced just three rivals as he lined up to defend his crown – but was made to battle hard in his bid to justify 4-6 favouritism.

Richard Hills’ mount was strongly pressed by Blue Bajan inside the distance but the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt kept finding more and collected by a head.

The owner’s racing manager Angus Gold said: “He keeps doing it year after year. He is tough, has class and takes a lot of beating.

“He did us proud at Royal Ascot last year in the Hardwicke and the plan is to go back there again.”

The same connections teamed up to take the Boodles Diamond Maiden Stakes with Sandown Classic Trial disappointment Al Tharib.

A son of Silver Hawk, the 2-1 favourite was a tame fifth on that occasion but fared much better under Hills’ confident front-running ride for an impressive three-length verdict.

Gold added: “I don’t know what happened at Sandown but he was much calmer.

“He was still green and babyish and the race won’t have done him any harm.

“We will build him up gently now and consider another run before the King Edward VII Handicap.”

Caribbean Coral landed a second course-and-distance victory in the Alexander Events Handicap.

The 16-1 shot landed a similar five-furlong dash on the Roodee in September, and repeated the trick as Graham Gibbons unleashed him with a telling run to score by half a length from Corridor Creeper.

Trainer John Quinn said: “He is a very quick horse when things go right for him.

“The Epsom Dash next month, which he won three years ago and ran well in 12 months ago, will be his next port of call.”

Mark Johnston and JP Guillambert teamed up for their second success of the three-day meeting as Annemasse (4-1) struck for home inside the final furlong to land the Halifax Handicap.

Johnston’s wife Deirdre said: “He had niggly problems last year which is why he didn’t run until this spring.

“We didn’t know what to expect as it was his first time on grass, but he has done it well and looks like he will get a mile.”

Mick Channon’s Heywood (7-2 favourite) came widest of all under Tadhg O’Shea and strode out well down the centre of the course for a half-length victory in the Senior Wright Handicap.