Horse In Profile: Illinois

Aidan O'Brien was out of luck with his Guineas contenders at Newmarket over the weekend, but the Ballydoyle supremo should be up to speed before long and will be sending a solid team to Chester's May Festival this week.

O'Brien uses the Roodee meeting to good effect and will have some possible Classic contenders and established stars heading to Chester.

Amongst them will be Illinois as the Galileo colt starts out on his four-year-old campaign for the Coolmore operation.

Staying power on full display

Illinois was second in Lingfield's Derby Trial last May behind Ambiente Friendly, but he never made it to Epsom, instead taking the Royal Ascot route, where he won the Queen's Vase upped to a mile-and-six-furlongs for the first time in his career.

That was only the sixth start of his career and Ryan Moore's partner stayed on strongly to win from stablemate Highbury.

In truth, that Ascot contest tends not to be the strongest of Group 2s, but it was a solid effort from Illinois nonetheless and he merited his win.

Summer of near misses

That was to prove the start of a summer of frustration for Illinois. After Ascot, his next three starts all brought runner-up finishes.

He was second to Sosie in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, denied by Los Angeles in the Great Voltigeur at York and then just repelled by stablemate Jan Brueghel in the St Leger at Doncaster.

His efforts in France and at York were proof that he had plenty of tactical speed when it was called for, but his Town Moor showing was excellent.

Wayne Lordan put him in front three furlongs down and a sustained duel with Jan Brueghel unfolded up the Doncaster straight. He came off second best by just a neck but emerged with lots of credit.

French farewell works out

O'Brien handpicked the Prix Chaudenay at Longchamp on Arc weekend as his final target and Illinois didn't let him down.

He went off as short as 4/9 favourite under Moore for that test over one-mile-and-seven-furlongs and came home with two lengths in hand over Trafalgar Square in second spot in a dominant success.

A winner at trips ranging from 1m1f-1m7f, Illinois has proved in his three-year-old campaign that he was a performer of substance and one with consistency as a key trait.

Chester the starting point

He was kept in training and is set for a four-year-old campaign that will begin at Chester with the Ormonde Stakes over just shy of a mile-and-three-quarters.

O'Brien has given Illinois entries in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Coronation Cup at Epsom, but it remains to be seen if he can become a top-level performer over shorter trips.

More likely for him this summer could be some of the major Cup races across Britain and Ireland.

The Yorkshire Cup at the Dante Festival may come too soon for him, but the likes of the Goodwood Cup, Lonsdale Cup and Doncaster Cup could be on his radar as the summer progresses.