Aidan O’Brien’s lightly raced and exciting Indian Chief has some top class form in the book and is strongly fancied at 5/1 to land the spoils.
The superbly bred son of Montjeu shaped with bags of promise on his sole run as a juvenile when runner-up to Loch Garman on heavy ground at Navan, travelling strongly until being unable to find an extra in the very testing conditions to be beaten just over 2 lengths.
He could then not have been more impressive on his reappearance at Leopardstown when easily beating subsequent winner Dubai Deer by 2 lengths.
The three-year-old was ridden with supreme confidence that day by Joseph O’Brien, and after being settled at the rear of the field made stealthy headway on the bridle as they entered the straight.
He cruised up on the bridle into third over a furlong out and then quickened and lengthened well to put the race to bed in a matter of strides, and I loved the way he stretched out on the soft ground without being asked a serious question.
He then put in a cracking performance lats time out when third to Libertarian in the Dante at York where he was given plenty to do before cruising into contention two from home.
At that point he looked the most likely winner but he didn’t find the change of gear that his rider expected before keeping on to be beaten 2 lengths.
However it was a really solid effort on just his third start, and the form of the race looks really strong.
The winner went on to chase home Ruler Of The World in the Epsom Derby, while the runner-up Trading Leather came third in the Irish 2000 Guineas before winning a listed race at the Curragh by 3 1/2 lengths.
To me that represents by far the best form in the contest, and with the ground and trip ideal and the prospect of plenty more to come Inidan Chief rates a solid bet to get back to winning ways.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 3pts win Indian Chief (5/1 Hills, Stan James – BOG)