On the anniversary of his victory in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes, the three-year-old Dark Angel colt Birchwood chalked up another stakes success when he won the Listed City Plate at Chester over seven furlongs. In so doing he beat the seven-year-old Sovereign Debt, another son of the Yeomanstown Stud stallion. The winner was bred by Guy O’Callaghan’s Marathon Bloodstock and the colt was sold through his Grangemore Stud as a yearling, while the runner-up was bred by Guy’s father Gay. Victory was part of a treble on the day for Dark Angel, with Gold Faith obliging at Newmarket and Sunnua also winning at Chester.

Group or Grade 1 win number 256 and the seventh of 2016 for Aidan O’Brien as Deauville became his 125th individual winner at the highest level on Sunday, winning the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes. The son of Galileo became his sire’s 58th Group/Grade 1 winner with this battling neck success and was a particular delight for breeder Fitri Hay who owns the colt in partnership with the established trio of Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor. The winner is a full-brother to Group 3 winner The Corsican and is from the family of Maroof and Desert King.