As it happened: O'Brien dominant as Epsom favourites Benvenuto Cellini and Amelia Earhart shine | Gosden reacts to 'stupid hype' around I'm The One

The Ballydoyle pair have prime position on the rail with Wayne Lordan setting a not-frenetic pace on Sugar Island.

I'm The One should just about go off favourite here but it's still one-way traffic for Amelia Earhart.

She's into 13-8 with I'm The One at 6-5.

John Gosden is keen to play I'm The One's chances down speaking to ITV Racing: "Her odds are ridiculous and prohibitive", he says.

Let's not forget the Cheshire Oaks isn't a two-horse race, although in the last ten years six favourites have won and no winner has returned at bigger odds than 7-1.

That's not a great sign for Aidan O'Brien's stablemate Sugar Island, the ride of 1,000 Guineas winner Wayne Lordan at 7-1, or Wathnan Racing's A La Prochaine, who won a Newbury novice on her only start last year and is 16-1.

Winged One, the ride of Oisin Murphy is 22-1. She was last seen getting off the mark in a novice on the all-weather at Newcastle in October and she's the only one of the quintet not to hold an Oaks entry.

Surely, as is a regular occurrence in the Oaks and its trials, this is all about Aidan O'Brien and the Gosdens.

No race has had more of a bearing on the Epsom Classic than the Cheshire Oaks in the last ten years. Three times it has produced the winner, including the two best, with 2017 heroine Enable and last year's queen Minnie Hauk clear in terms of career-best Racing Post Ratings (RPR). 

A check in with the Cheshire Oaks betting shows Amelia Earhart to have shortened again to 15-8 (from 2-1).

Several more firms, including William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, now going odds-against I'm The One, which would have been unfathomable yesterday.

Tom Segal tipped Chester winner Supido

Great tipping from Tom Segal!

He picked out Supido and has one more to come this afternoon – he's going for Temple Of Athena in the 6f handicap.

He writes: "A winner on her only start at the track, Temple Of Athena is from a family that tends to improve with age and she came home strongly to spring a surprise on her comeback run at Wolverhampton in March. She showed excellent pace against some classy older fillies at Bath last time before tiring late on and this represents a huge drop in class."

Sign up to Racing Post+ Tipping so you don't miss any of Tom Segal's tips.

Runners in the handicap won by Supido break from the stallsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The next at Chester, a 7½f handicap was soon upon me there and it's that man Billy Loughnane as he wins on Supido for trainer Ian Williams.

The 15-2 winner came from stall two to deny the 6-4 favourite Snow Master (stall seven) in second and Lir Speciale (stall eight) in third.

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

More from Rebecca Menzies on Adonius:

"I'd say Ascot is definitely on the agenda now. I think over five [furlongs] as he's all speed and we'll probably look at the National Stakes as well. Every assignment we've given him, he's overly delivered every time. He's such a strong horse, he's three from three now and was mightily impressive there, and Kaiya gets a good tune out of him."

While the Cheshire Oaks has been most intriguing, the Chester Vase increasingly looks like a one-horse race with Benvenuto Cellini now 1-3 (from 1-2 this morning).

He's 4-1 favourite for the Derby, a market he topped almost by default following ther underwhelming reappearance of his stablemate Pierre Bonnard, but what has he actually achieved so far?

By Keith Melrose, betting editor

Benvenuto Cellini is the chosen one from Ballydoyle in the Derby the same way Gstaad filled that role in the 2,000 Guineas. The latter inherited his position from Albert Einstein as soon as that horse was ruled out of contention. Similarly, Pierre Bonnard was the Derby favourite over the winter, but a blowout in the Ballysax Stakes sent him on the drift. Benvenuto Cellini's odds being cut was just the equal and opposite reaction.

There was a time when Aidan O'Brien used Chester as a cramming session for Epsom. Going back to when his erstwhile stable jockey Kieren Fallon said "horses learn so much" from whizzing around the famously tight Roodee circuit, O'Brien has sent some notable once-raced horses to the Chester Vase. 

That trend has been absent pretty much since the Covid-19 pandemic. Of O'Brien's seven runners in the race since 2021, three had four prior runs, three had three and one had two. Of the seven, two won, and they in turn finished fifth and first in the Derby.

Looking at those two winners, Changingoftheguard (wore cheekpieces at Epsom) and Lambourn, you infer that O'Brien still uses Chester for education. Now it is less about pure experience, more about sharpening up horses who need it. The only surprise, taking that to its conclusion, is that Benvenuto Cellini is thought to be in need of livening up.

He was good enough to win at Group 2 level over a mile last year and also went off favourite for the Futurity Trophy. He did not meet expectations that day, although still advanced his form, and given his dam was a top turf performer in North America you fancy that heavy ground at Doncaster was not in his favour.

The Chester Vase is about development more than experience. Most of the O'Brien winners who have gone on to achieve the most – Ruler Of The World, US Army Ranger, Lambourn – were below-average winners if you looked only at their performance on the day. It is interesting that Benvenuto Cellini is thought to need the lesson Chester provides, but anything he shows today needs to be seen as a means to an end at Epsom in 31 days' time.

By Matt Rennie at Chester

The winning time may have been slow by 1.52s in the Lily Agnes, but many of the beaten jockeys agreed they are racing on good ground.

Oisin Murphy, who was third on favourite Wait Geordie, said: "It's beautiful racing ground. They've done a great job. I'd describe it as good."

Kieran Shoemark agreed it was also good ground.

Adonius showed electric pace to win the Lily AgnesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Adonius had previously won twice at Musselburgh, and trainer Rebecca Menzies reveals after the race owner Michael Hughes turned down an offer to sell him before Chester.

"He's such a cool little horse," she told ITV. "Every time we've given him an assignment he's rocked it and he was foot perfect today.

"Fair play to the owners because after his second win at Musselburgh he could have had a new postcode, but they had faith and kept him with me and thank goodness he's delivered today in such a fantastic way."

Can he go to Ascot? "I think he can," she replies. "Whenever we've had a decent Flat horse before people have been all over them to buy them, which makes it tricky for a smaller yard like us. It would have been tempting for the guys to take the offer and run. I don't know how good he is but he looks amazing and he's so fast."

Unibet make him a 10-1 shot for the Norfolk Stakes.

Adonius (right) rounds the bend into the home straightCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

What a performance that is!

Adonius, for Rebecca Menzies and jockey Kaiya Fraser, extends his unbeaten record to three.

He absolutely blasted out of the gates from a handy draw in stall one, set a rapid pace and was never for catching, cornering really well. Hickory Lad was second with favourite Wait Geordie third.

Next step Royal Ascot?

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

Wait Geordie is a particularly small and nimble type. Adonius looks well but the pick is Final Appeal who is a real standout.

Hugo Palmer has four runners today – and he is most emphatic about the chances of Wait Geordie coming up in less than ten minutes.

“We’re very happy with him, he said. "This has been the plan since before his winning debut. He’s trained super since and we were never going to run him again before this. He’s got a nice draw, so we’re looking forward to it.

“He did exactly what we expected on his debut. He’s a small, strong, early-season two-year-old and he’s always shown great gate speed at home. He did the same at Bath – he had the race won in the first few strides and was still on top at the line without the jockey needing to get too serious.

“I think there’s more to come from him and he’s always struck me as the perfect Chester horse, so let’s hope that proves the case.”

'He’s always struck me as the perfect Chester horse' - ranking Hugo Palmer's runners on day one of the May meeting 

I'm The One's price drift ahead of the Cheshire Oaks has settled at around evens, although there's no hint of support returning.

William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps says: “I’m The One was dubbed ‘the next Enable’ prior to her brilliant debut and on paper, the Cheshire Oaks looked a cakewalk en route to the Oaks itself at Epsom.

"However, she’s extremely weak in the betting. Opening at 4-7, she has since slid right out to 10-11. Punters who keep the faith may reap the rewards of their trust in the Gosden filly, but so far, the market is not speaking in favour of her chances.”

Chester hosts two huge trials for the Derby and Oaks this afternoonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Steve Palmer was at it again on Sunday as his 5pt each-way headline selection Cameron Young romped to a six-shot success at the Cadillac Championship.

Golf's greatest tipster has now tipped six winners in six weeks after Stewart Cink's also triumphed last weekend at odds of 100-30.

Don't miss his weekly selections, available exclusively first to Racing Post+ subscribers. This week, Rory McIlroy returns to action in the Truist Championship, but he is not among Steve's three tips...

• Steve Palmer's Truist Championship first-round golf betting tips and predictions 
• 16-1, 60-1, 6-1, 11-1 and 100-30! Red-hot Steve Palmer bags his fifth winner in three weeks – Sign up to Racing Post+ to access all his 2026 tips 

Copper Knight is on the roll of honour for the 5f Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes (1.30) which kicks off proceedings in half an hour, and remarkably the 2016 winner is still on the go and winning races at the age of 12 after winning for the 19th time in his 118th start at Beverley on Monday. What a horse!

Today's seven runners will have to go some to match that legacy. 

The market has been speaking very favourably in favour of Wait Geordie, trained by Hugo Palmer who in his role as trainer at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables knows winners on the Roodee is a huge priority.

Wait Geordie has the backing of our top tipster Harry Wilson, who was in great form at Newmarket last weekend.

Harry's tip: Wait Geordie looked very professional when making a winning debut at Bath, travelling comfortably in front before asserting to win with a bit in hand. That form has already started to work out, with wins for the third and sixth, and he could well be able to repeat those tactics here from a nice draw in stall three.

Wait Geordie13:30 Chester

View Racecard

Jky: Oisin Murphy Tnr: Hugo Palmer

Chester intel and tips:

• Harry Wilson bagged 9-1, 15-2 and 4-1 winners last week - don't miss his tips for the opening day of Chester's May meeting 
• 'There's no reason why he can't go well' - Tom Segal has three tips for the opening day of Chester's May meeting 
• Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini steps up in trip as he bids to strengthen position as Ballydoyle's number one for Epsom 
• The next Enable? John Gosden plays down comparisons - but bookies are running scared of I'm The One's 'sass and sparkle' 

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

David Egan has done an informative riding demonstration in the parade ring for racegoers. A cute way of engaging with racing fans by explaining the skills and techniques he will be showcasing later.

He couldn't get away without nominating his best chance of a winner from three rides, to which he replied: "Pietro in the last. He was a good comeback winner at Wolverhampton when scoring cosily. He'll be ridden at the back of the field, so will need things to go his way."

We're only 45 minutes away from the opener and the enclosures are filling up!

Chester's May meeting runs for the next three daysCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Plenty are getting dressed up for the occasionCredit: Edward Whitaker

It's a short walk to the track from the city centreCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Kevin Blake is on punditry duty for Sky Sports Racing and he's just been talking about how Amelia Earhart definitely caught the eye when Aidan O'Brien galloped a large amount of his string at the Curragh last month.

It would definitely make sense for her to be working the house down at home, given the confidence behind her today and her 8-1 odds for the Oaks, because otherwise her achievements on the track do not tally up with those odds.

It took her five attempts to break her maiden last year while she was fourth in the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes on her only start outside of maiden company.

But her pedigree screams stamina and once she did get her act together she was very impressive at Leopardstown in October.

"Amelia Earhart is in good form and, like them all, she's just ready to start," said O'Brien. "She's been away a few times and we always thought going up in trip would help her so it will be interesting." 

Can Amelia Earhart fly high to the top of Aidan O'Brien's Epsom Classic team and follow in Minnie Hauk's footsteps?