It’s Galileo day at Chester

Hot on the heels of his recent Guineas double, the unstoppable Galileo dominated day two of the Chester meeting when winning both Group races on the card.

First up came last season’s G1 Belmont Derby winner Deauville (4c Galileo-Walklikeanegyptian, by Danehill) who put in a polished performance to take the G3 Huxley Stakes under Ryan Moore.

“He’s a Grade 1 winner and is a good-moving horse who loves the ground and this track,” said Moore. “He’s improved from his first start.”

Contests such as the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot could now be on his radar.

“He’s in all the races and we could look at the Curragh and Ascot,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “He’s versatile and a mile and a quarter is probably as far as he wants. He’s a very professional sound horse.”

Meanwhile, Venice Beach (3c Galileo-Danedrop, by Danehill) could now be heading to the G1 Derby at Epsom after winning the G3 Chester Vase.

The Galileo colt, also trained by Aidan O’Brien, came home ahead of Pour Moi’s son Wings Of Eagles (3c Pour Moi-Ysoldina, by Kendor), an eye-catching runner-up.

“I thought it was a very good performance from a lightly-raced colt who is still learning a lot,” Moore, again on the winner, said. “He started very well, but they didn’t go mad up front and he was still a bit babyish through the race. He’s learning about it all still. He’s got a good future.

“He was still looking around after he had gone to win the race and is a colt with plenty of potential. He has a beautiful pedigree and a good brain.”

O’Brien continued: "We knew he stays a mile and a half, but he’s a bit lazy and babyish and so it was important to bring him here as he has a good bit to learn. You’d have to be very happy. The lads will talk about the Derby, he handles quick ground and I think this is a horse who will improve.”

O’Brien was also delighted with the runner-up who sounds another in the mix to possibly emulate his sire Pour Moi in the Derby.

“I was delighted with Wings Of Eagles,” added O’Brien. “We liked him last year when he had a lovely run in France. If he was to be ready for a Derby then he needed to run today. He travelled and settled well today.”