POINT Lonsdale will have his stamina tested when locking horns with Arrest in the tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes on the second day of the Chester Festival.
Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old has never raced beyond a mile and a half in a successful 15-race career to date, so he will be travelling over 13 and a half furlongs for the first time in this Group Three contest.
Ryan Moore guided Point Lonsdale to victory in the Group Two Huxley Stakes 12 months ago – the last taste of success for the durable Australia entire, who is back in domestic action after a stint in the Middle East this winter.
Point Lonsdale came third in Bahrain in November before picking up over €94,000 for a sixth-placed finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March, despite going off at 100-1.
Connections are confident Arrest can progress following his seventh on his reappearance at Newbury in April. He finished a 2023 campaign in which he started favourite for the Derby by taking the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury before a second in the St Leger in September.
Arrest also has form at this track when landing the Boodles Chester Vase last year, but while he has no worries over the distance, it is O’Brien’s charge who just gets the nod.
Jayarebe impressed at Newmarket last month can back that up in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes.
He eased to a three-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Whip Cracker to land the Feilden Stakes at the Craven meeting and the subsequent form of Richard Hughes’ colt and third-placed Caviar Heights should inspire trainer Brian Meehan.
Caviar Heights cosily won the Newmarket Stakes by four lengths on Friday, with Whip Cracker coming a distant third.
Jayarebe will be thereabouts for the top honours, although God’s Window, trained like Arrest by John and Thady Gosden, is a threat following his comfortable success at Nottingham three weeks ago.
At Brighton, Havana Force can end a run of three straight seconds by claiming the Get Raceday Ready Restricted Maiden Stakes.
Hollie Doyle takes the ride as Marco Botti’s three-year-old looks to get her nose in front on her fifth career start.
At Stratford, Lightening Mahler returns to action after pulling up in a Listed mares’ novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
The Dan Skelton-trained six-year-old drops down in class for what is her fencing debut in the Betting.Bet Novices’ Handicap Chase.