Jan Brueghel defied a lengthy absence to run out an impressive winner of the Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes at Chester on Thursday.
Early last June the 2024 St Leger winner looked set for a special summer after beating Calandagan in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, but front-running tactics did not work in the King George at Ascot and he did not run again.
Briefly trapped on the rails when the pace quickened, it looked like Sons And Lovers had got first run but once in the clear Jan Brueghel (4-7 favourite) quickened impressively for Ryan Moore to beat Mount Atlas by two and a half lengths.
Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of the Classic trials when Constitution River won the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes with real authority.
On a controversial afternoon on the Roodee when the second race was delayed by over an hour due to a track inspection, the field for the Derby trial was weakened by the withdrawal of the William Haggas-trained Morshdi, with connections unhappy with ground conditions.
O'Brien was happy to run his son of Wootton Bassett, however, and having landed the Cheshire Oaks with Amelia Earhart and the Chester Vase with Benvenuto Cellini, Constitution River justified 2-9 favouritism with the minimum of fuss.
Whereas Golden Story struggled with the twists and turns, the Ballydoyle inmate, a Group Two winner last season, travelled as if on rails for Ryan Moore, beating Generic by seven lengths.
The opener of the second day could not have had a more popular winner than it did with course specialist Roman Dragon landing the five-furlong CAA Stellar Handicap.
Sent off at 4-1, Roman Dragon was already the winning-most horse around his local Roodee and took his tally to an impressive eight wins from 21 runs.
Oisin Murphy had the Heeraat gelding positioned prominently through the race and fought off the late challenge from stablemate Dubai Bling to win by a head.
Malpas trainer Hugo Palmer said: "Roman Dragon around here is so special. He loses interest in a straight line and he's a very balanced, agile, nimble horse.
"I think he just has a look around and straight lines don't do it for him, but he ran very well at York last year. He has won in Bahrain as well, but for him it's all about here and he will come back here when he can.
"He won the Queensferry Stakes last year and we'll try to win it again later in the summer."
Roman Dragon was warmly received in the winner's enclosure, particularly so by breeder and co-owner Michael Owen who said: "We foaled him at home and he was a little ill horse who we were up in the middle of the night treating and it's just brilliant to see him do what he does."
