Moore in Seventh Heaven as filly proves far too good

Seventh Heaven defied a Group 1 penalty to run out an impressive winner of the Jockey Club Stakes for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien.

Sent off as the 4-7 market leader, last year's Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner loomed up two furlongs from home and drew clear to win by five lengths.

French raider One Foot In Heaven kept on best to finish runner-up.

Seventh Heaven had run creditably on her seasonal reappearance in March when finishing runner-up to Jack Hobbs in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, which was contested on yielding ground at Meydan.

Moore felt she was better suited by the faster surface at Newmarket and said: "She felt fantastic – I think good ground is very important to her. She's not really had her conditions since the Yorkshire Oaks but she's done very well from three to four."

Coronation Cup on the agenda

O'Brien said: "She's a lovely mare and we know she gets a mile and a half well. She loves good ground and she's progressing all the time. Physically she's doing well and we came here with one eye on the Coronation Cup.

"You'd have to be happy with her. She has a high cruising speed but it just takes a little while for her to hit top gear."

Seventh Heaven, who is owned by the Coolmore partners, runs in the colours of Derek Smith, who said: "We expected her to win and she did it very well.

"This fast ground is probably the key to her and she loves a galloping track as well."

Seventh Heaven, who beat subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found when taking the Yorkshire Oaks, received a quote of 16-1 with Paddy Power for the Arc.

Moore and O'Brien completed a big-race double on the Newmarket card when last year's leading juvenile Churchill justified favouritism in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.