O'Brien pins hopes of Chester success on Vivaldi and Wassily Kandisky

Published on Wednesday 7 May 2008 10:21

AIDAN O'BRIEN runs Vivaldi and Wassily Kandisky as he bids to saddle the winner of the Bank of America Chester Vase for the second successive year.

The Ballydoyle trainer landed the Group Three contest on the Roodee for the first time with Soldier Of Fortune 12 months ago and he went on to win the Irish Derby. Vivaldi, winner at Gowran Park on his second and final start as a two-year-old, will be ridden by new stable jockey Johnny Murtagh, while David McCabe gets the leg-up on the maiden Wassily Kandisky.

"Vivaldi won his final start last year in Gowran Park and has not run since then and will need the experience," said O'Brien. "Wassily Kandisky was just beaten in a maiden by one of Dermot Weld's who has won a few since then and I hope he improves for his first run."

However, Pampas Cat can provide the John Gosden team with further ammunition for the summer by winning the Vase.

In what does not strike as being a vintage renewal of this Group Three, the Roodee feature could well be at this colt's mercy. Unraced as a two-year-old, Pampas Cat could not have been any more impressive on his debut at Newmarket, where he ruthlessly demolished a strong field.

Having led over a furlong out, the son of Seeking The Gold powered clear to score by five lengths from a clutch of contenders who hold entries at the top table. That display suggests a couple more furlongs in the Chester Vase will be ideal.

Multidimensional must have a huge shout in the Grant Thornton Huxley Stakes. The Henry Cecil-trained five-year-old is surely up to winning a Group Three race of this calibre, having finished an unlucky fifth to Literato in last year's Champion Stakes.