Above The Curve could book Oaks ticket at Chester

Exciting Leopardstown winner Above The Curve puts her Classic aspirations to the test for the in-form Joseph O’Brien in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Cheshire Oaks on the opening day of Chester’s May Meeting on Wednesday.

Above The Curve justifies strong market support on her three-year-old debut

The American Pharoah filly got off the mark and in impressive fashion from a disadvantageous wide draw at the Foxrock track on her return to action last time out and could continue on her upwards trajectory towards either Epsom or the Curragh with a strong performance in this Listed assignment.

Having moved up to 10 furlongs last time, the three-year-old tries an extra two furlongs here and, fresh from saddling a big double at the Curragh on Monday, O’Brien is looking forward to seeing how Above The Curve handles the tight turns of the Roodee.

“The timing is good and it will be nice to get her around a track like that to give her experience if she is going to go to Epsom,” said O’Brien.

“If she handles the track and things go well then she might be an Epsom filly. She’s a fine big filly and I like her.”

“She’s exciting” – Joseph O’Brien can’t dampen his enthusiasm for Above The Curve after victory last time

Hello Jumeirah and Night Battle both impressed with victories on the all-weather on debut and now take a step up in class on their second starts.

The latter is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and showed more professionalism the further she went at Lingfield last month. The Kingman filly cost 475,000 guineas and is bred to be useful, with her training team eager to see how much she has improved on her second outing.

Simon Crisford said: “She’s in good form at home, obviously it is a step up in class and trip, but we’ll find out where we are with her. We’ve been very pleased with her since her novice win.”

John Gosden’s Morning Poem could only finish fifth in a Kempton conditions race last time but represents a team that have won two of the last four renewals, while Aidan O’Brien has landed this recognised Oaks trial three times since 2015 and relies on Thoughts Of June, who finished second to Above The Curve at Leopardstown most recently.

The Queen saw her Derby candidate Reach For The Moon ruled out of the premier Classic on Tuesday but could unearth another Group-level contender when Michael Bell’s Improvise makes her return to the track.

Trainer Michael Bell expects improvement from Improvise as a three-year-old (Photo: PA)

Bell saddled dam Set To Music to a pair of Listed victories and is hoping that her daughter can follow in those footsteps and develop into a stakes performer this season.

“I’m hopeful the step up in trip will suit her, her mother who I trained stayed well and improved from two to three and she’s a very similar type physically to her dam, so hopefully she’ll perform to somewhere near the same level,” said Bell.

“There are many bridges to cross before then (Ribblesdale, Royal Ascot), but if she was to run well here then that would open that window. She needs to perform to a Pattern-class level on Wednesday first.

“It’s nice to have these nice prospects, especially when you’ve trained the mother as well and she improved with age and we’re hopeful Improvise will do the same.”

Moon De Vega and Makinmedoit are two other last-time out winners in the line-up, with the latter impressing in a five-length success at Brighton only last week. Typewriter and Wynter Wildes round off the field.

Sean Woods is likely to have a clearer idea about potential ambitions for Savvy Victory after Wednesday’s Boodles Chester Vase.

The New Bay colt placed in three of his four juvenile starts last term and opened his account in some style on his seasonal reappearance at Pontefract last month.

Savvy Victory runs out a cosy winner on his return under Tom Marquand

He steps up significantly in class for this Group Three Derby trial but Woods is keen to roll the dice with a horse who is clearly on an upward curve – and one that retains an engagement in the premier Classic.

“He’s a nice horse and he deserves his chance,” said the Shalfleet Stables handler.

“We’re stepping up to a mile and a half and it was always the case that we were going to go for one of the Derby trials.

“I’m very happy with him. The ground is the key as they’ve had a bit of rain at Chester and it’s good ground. At this time of year you don’t want to be running on firm ground when you’ve a whole season ahead of you.

“I don’t dream that much, but he’s in the Derby.”

New London is guaranteed to be a short-priced favourite for the all-conquering team of Charlie Appleby and William Buick.

The Dubawi colt is unbeaten in two starts at Newmarket and he is second-favourite for the Derby with most bookmakers behind Saturday’s 2000 Guineas third Luxembourg.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “New London has progressed with each run so far and brings a nice unbeaten profile into the race.

“We are hoping that the step up in distance will see further improvement and this should tell us where we are heading over the coming weeks.”

Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Chester Vase on a record nine occasions, relies on Dundalk maiden winner Changingoftheguard, the mount of Ryan Moore.

“My horse stepped up markedly on his juvenile form when winning by six lengths on his return at Dundalk and, while that was a straightforward assignment for him, the runner-up didn’t let the form down when just touched off last time,” Moore told Betfair.

“He steps up another two furlongs or so here but he is a Galileo and he saw his race out very well over an extended 10 furlongs at Dundalk.”

Andrew Balding saddles the promising Berkshire Rebel but Michael Bell’s Dillian was declared a non-runner on Tuesday morning.