O’Brien Sets More Records at Chester Races with Stakes Win

Aidan O’Brien added two more entries to the record books on Thursday at Chester races May meeting, following another productive afternoon marked by success in both the Dee Stakes and Ormonde Stakes. Mount Kilimanjaro and Illinois delivered for the trainer, each ridden with precision by Ryan Moore.

In the 10-furlong Dee Stakes, Mount Kilimanjaro left it late to get involved. With just over a furlong left, he appeared flat and struggling for a clear path. Moore remained patient, and once the opening came, the colt moved steadily through the field and passed High Stock in the final few strides. The result gave O’Brien a 12th win in the Dee Stakes, moving him ahead of Barry Hills, whose dominance in past decades had set the standard.

Mount Kilimanjaro’s performance led to a price cut to around 20-1 for the Epsom Derby. However, the team behind him is also considering a run in the Prix du Jockey Club on 1 June, a race held over the same distance as Thursday’s trial. High Stock, who had looked set to win until the closing seconds, may also be aimed at the French Classic.

Later, Illinois produced a solid staying effort to win the Ormonde Stakes over 13 furlongs. Having placed in two Group One contests last year, including the Grand Prix de Paris, the colt returned to winning ways in a straightforward style. That made it seven wins in the race for O’Brien, moving him one ahead of Sir Michael Stoute.

Plans for Illinois now point toward a drop back to a mile-and-a-half, with the Coronation Cup at Epsom a likely target. The first day of Derby weekend would provide a fitting stage for the colt’s next run. His ability to handle various track conditions and pace scenarios makes him one to follow as the British flat racing season progresses.

This double on Thursday followed a similar outcome on Wednesday, giving O’Brien back-to-back two-win days at Chester races. With the meeting’s main trials now completed, the week has reaffirmed the strength of O’Brien’s early British flat racing season team. Both winners look set for a summer campaign that includes some of the calendar’s most-watched events.

Attention now shifts to Friday’s Chester races Cup, which carries a prize fund of £86,000 for the winner. The historic staying handicap features 16 runners and takes in two circuits of the tight Roodee course. Tactics, positioning, and timing are often decisive in this test of endurance. As per tradition, the winning team will also receive a large wheel of Cheshire Cheese, a custom that dates back generations and adds local character to the meeting.

Though O’Brien is not represented in the Cup, his mark on the May meeting is already clear. The achievements on Thursday added depth to his long-standing record of success at this fixture and provided further pointers for the major summer Chester races.

Chester races has once again delivered significant updates for those following the early British flat racing season form. Both Mount Kilimanjaro and Illinois now head toward higher-level assignments with confidence from their recent performances. The May meeting has served its purpose in shaping expectations for the weeks ahead, particularly at Epsom and Chantilly.

As the sport moves toward its peak summer fixtures, Thursday’s results at Chester races will be remembered as another step in O’Brien’s consistent pattern of success, built on planning, timing, and delivery on race day.