Pairumani to star for Dunlop in 'Ormonde'

Chester is a great leveller.

With a track this tight and turning, horses either love it or hate it. Some win despite it, others because of it. That's why Pairumani Star can beat Yavana's Pace in tomorrow's Breitling Watches And Waltons Of Chester Ormonde Stakes

Take this Group Three event last year. Subsequent dual Group One victor Daliapour only repelled Life Is Life by three-quarters of a length. The latter filly is a useful performer on the Flat, as her Ascot Gold Cup fifth later underlined, but it's hard to imagine her getting that close to the winner over this 1m5f trip on any conventional course, particularly on fastish ground.

Yavana's Pace ran fourth in last year's Ormonde, staying on strongly to compensate for his complete failure to handle the bend at the six-furlong start. A tight track was also partly blamed by trainer Mark Johnston for his defeat in Dusseldorf last July, so returning to Chester can hardly have been the main plan.

The motive may have been taking advantage of a weak contest. This unsung hero is twice a Group Three winner and three times a close runner-up at the highest level - twice in the Irish St Leger and in a Cologne Group One event.

Although a cut above his field on straight form, Yavana's Pace looks vulnerable. The Pat Edderypartnered Pairumani Star, on the other hand, loves fastish ground, stays beyond this trip and yet races handily enough to cope with Chester. Trainer John Dunlop is still in flying form - although the pack are closing with the weather finally turning - and this six-year-old entire was in the form of his life in 2000.

His short-head defeat of Murghem at Goodwood in May, receiving only 4lb, reads very well in the context of what the runner-up went on to achieve. He also beat another progressive type in Royal Rebel, again in receipt of just 4lb, at Leopardstown next time out.

St Expedit is the type to improve as a three-year-old and ran promisingly when fourth, behind Lucido at Newbury. But he is a tricky sort and may not take to Chester. In the SIS Huxley Stakes, the Tradesman's Cup, Adilabad can raise his score to 2-1 over Island House. In the shambles that passed for a start when the ground was too boggy for stalls to be used at Sandown last time, Sir Michael Stoute's charge whipped round and lost 20 lengths.