'There's plenty to like' - get the inside track on the emerging juveniles in the Chesham headed by Pearls And Rubies

It is unusual for a trainer to have such a grip on a Royal Ascot prize as Aidan O’Brien has on the Chesham. Eight of the last nine favourites have been handled by Royal Ascot’s winningmost trainer and four won. He was also responsible for around a third of this season’s entries before final declarations. 

O’Brien tends to have an eye on the following season’s Classics with his Chesham runners and fillies Pearls And Rubies and Content are the Ballydoyle hopes this year. Pearls And Rubies is the choice of Ryan Moore and evidently speedy as a daughter of No Nay Never who scored over 5f on her debut. 

How she handles a stiff 7f remains to be seen, but there is stamina on the dam's side of her pedigree as she is out of a Pretty Polly winner. Content is a maiden, yet she might not have been with a different ride on her debut at Leopardstown. The Galileo filly was never given a hard time when last off the bridle in a slowly run race, finishing a nose and head behind stablemate Buttons, who initially featured prominently in Chesham ante-post lists.

Content is one of 11 maidens in here and 14 who arrive after no more than one run, making this perhaps as challenging as any of the tricky juvenile puzzles to solve this week.

Also among the maidens is Joseph O'Brien's Highland Reel newcomer Warnie, who gets the assistance of James McDonald aboard. A lack of a previous run is an obvious concern going into a Chesham, but that failed to stop Holloway Boy storming clear in last year's race. 

There is a balance to be struck between precocity and natural ability and, in a race to approach tentatively, the potentially above-average Yarmouth novice involving Lightning Leo, Sayedaty Sadaty and Quatre Bras might emerge as the formline to follow.

Horses rated 110 and 111 landed the previous two runnings of that contest and just half a length separated the three at Yarmouth. Quatre Bras was the most expensive yearling among them and raced away from the action, so may be wrongly overlooked.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

What they say

Tom Pennington, racing manager to Amo Racing, owners of Dallas Star and La Guarida
La Guarida would be the main hope and the race she won at Goodwood has worked out very well as the second and third have won since. It was a toss-up between this or the Albany but we felt that getting a 5lb allowance here and the extra furlong would help. Dallas Star ran well to be third on his debut at Haydock when he was a bit green and babyish and he should improve on that.

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, owner of Golden Mind
Richard Fahey is very happy with him and he shaped as if he'd enjoy stepping up to seven furlongs when winning over six at Leicester last time. He had a few fancied ones behind that day, so there’s plenty to like.

Alison Begley, racing manager to Al Shaqab, part-owners of Lightning Leo
We bought 50 per cent of him after he won his maiden at Yarmouth and he looks a nice horse. He’s facing a few of those he beat that day and hopefully he can confirm the form. He’s won at the trip, which many in the field have not.

Pat Owens, trainer of Oddyssey
It’s a dream come true having our first-ever runner at Royal Ascot and he ran a nice debut behind some of these at Yarmouth. He’s grown up mentally since then and has moved forward from that. The track and trip should suit him and hopefully he can do us proud.

Jane Chapple-Hyam: runs Quatre Bras in the Chesham StakesCredit: Mark Cranham

Jane Chapple-Hyam, trainer of Quatre Bras
He’s small and stocky, so not your typical Sea The Stars, and ran a nice race to be third behind a couple of these at Yarmouth first time. Hopefully he can make the frame.

Oisin Murphy, rider of Sayedaty Sadaty
He ran a great race when just touched off at Yarmouth and he’s come forward from that at home. The Chesham is a hard race to win but he deserves to take his chance.

Nathan Bennett, spokesman for Bennett Racing, owners of Warnie
It's always hard to know with the two-year-olds but he looks super. He's settled in there well and trialled up good. I think he'll sit back in the field and look to come late, but I don't know whether he can run over the top of them. I'm sure he'll give a good run.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Content and Pearls And Rubies
Pearls And Rubies has done well since Navan. It was less than a fortnight ago, so we haven't done much with her since. We started her over five furlongs at Navan and she's up to seven here, but the only reason we started her over five was because the race was there at Navan. We think she'll like this trip. Wayne [Lordan] loved Content the first day he rode her at Leopardstown and we think she has come forward since then.

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Snellen
She won a barrier trial and then went to Limerick and won her maiden despite hanging violently left. We don't really know why she did that and hopefully she won't do it again. She'll need to step up again here but she's a nice filly.
Reporting by David Milnes

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