Morando thrives in Chester rain to upset favourite Kew Gardens in the Ormonde

Racegoers at Chester thought they were in for a treat but the relentless rain put paid to that – in more ways than one.

Not only was ladies' day a bit of a wash out on the lawns but the main attraction on the track got stuck in the mud too, as St Leger winner Kew Gardens trailed home eight lengths adrift of the impressive Morando.

A Classic winner running in a race named after the Triple Crown hero of 1886 is a sight to behold and Kew Gardens was fancied to join the likes of Derby winners Blakeney and Teenoso on the roll of honour.

However, after a rare big-race reversal in recent days Aidan O'Brien was left to extract the positives as the wet conditions proved the undoing of his two-time Group 1 winner.

"Kew Gardens was just ready to start and soft ground isn't his thing," he said. "I was very happy with him. They went a good gallop, it was a proper run and the winner is a good horse.

"We're thinking of dropping him back for the Coronation Cup and we wanted to get him started. If he's well, we'll think very hard about that."

Andrew Balding, who has established an excellent record at Chester, was smiling in the rain after the ground – changed to soft following the second race – came right just in time for Morando.

Enterprisingly ridden by champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa, the King Power Racing-owned six-year-old careered off the final bend to score with plenty in hand.

"He's a smashing horse and thoroughly deserved it," said Balding, who was recording a second Ormonde success ten years on from Buccellati.

"I hoped he'd run well when the ground turned soft as he loves these conditions but I didn't expect him to beat the favourite by eight lengths.

"The key to him is the ground and we'll have to be careful not to run him on anything faster than good to soft. He's in the Hardwicke, which would be the obvious target for him, but he'll be lucky to get the ground at Ascot."

Magic Circle finished half a length behind Kew Gardens in third, having only been given the go-ahead to run in the Ormonde rather than Friday's Chester Cup earlier in the day.

Trainer Ian Williams said: "We were delighted with that. The winner has obviously pulled out something special on the ground. We've got competitive with some very good horses and it's a great stepping stone for the staying races this season."

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