Cheshire Oaks 2015: Diamondsandrubies adds sparkle to Ryan Moore's Oaks hand

As if there weren’t enough Classic jewels around the place, Ballydoyle have unearthed yet another gem in the form of Diamondsandrubies, who announced herself on the big stage by fairly trouncing her rivals in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester.

Fresh from their 2,000 Guineas triumph together with Gleneagles last Saturday, trainer Aidan O’Brien and his new No 1 jockey Ryan Moore teamed up again to spectacular effect as the hot favourite overcame concerns about the rain-softened ground and an accidental blow across the face from a rival jockey’s whip to sprint six lengths clear inside the last furlong.

Her next stop is Epsom for the Oaks itself, and the bookmakers were sufficiently impressed to promote her to 10-1 third favourite behind Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas winner, Legatissimo (also ridden by Moore for David Wachman), and O’Brien’s other leading lady, Found.

Impressive though she was, Diamondsandrubies probably did not do enough against second-division opposition to persuade Moore that she would be a better Oaks mount than Legatissimo or Found, but it is a nice problem for the most in-demand rider in the world to have.

“When I asked her, she quickened like a smart filly,” Moore said. “For a big filly, she’s gone round there very easily.”

The Derby picture was pretty foggy already and it became even more difficult to make sense of the shifting shapes when Sir Isaac Newton, one of the market leaders, was turned over at 1-6 by Cymro in the maiden.

So it is back to the drawing board for a son of Galileo who cost 3.6m guineas as a yearling; certainly the Derby looks a non-starter now, even allowing for the excuses of inexperience and unsuitably soft going.

Things may, or may not, be clearer after the final important Derby trials are held over the next week or so, starting at Chester and continuing at Lingfield (Saturday), Leopardstown (Sunday) and York next week.

The Chester Vase fell out of favour as a trial of choice in the years after Shergar rehearsed his Derby procession in 1981, but one trainer who has taken the race most seriously as a stepping stone to Epsom in more recent times is O’Brien.

If Hans Holbein can see off his five opponents this afternoon he will become the sixth Ballydoyle winner of the race in nine years and, more importantly, will stake some sort of claim in a Derby market crying out for a display of real substance.

Judged on the betting and the Ballydoyle vibes, Hans Holbein, the winner of an ordinary Leopardstown maiden last month, is not considered one of O’Brien’s real heavyweights, but neither was Ruler Of The World when he won the Vase two years ago before going on to Epsom glory.

As always these days, O’Brien has a full deck of high-value classic cards, but even he does not know for sure which are the aces until he turns them over.

Whatever happens at the weekend, surely the Dante Stakes at York next Thursday, which might well feature a clash between the Derby favourite Jack Hobbs, the other chief English hope Elm Park and O’Brien’s Ol’ Man River – quickly given another chance after his dismal effort when last in the 2,000 Guineas – will provide welcome and meaningful clues ahead of the main event on 6 June.

The Chester Cup, one of the oldest handicaps in the calendar, fell to the Ed Dunlop-trained Trip To Paris, who, under a well-judged ride from Graham Lee, swept past half the field in the short home straight to nail the favourite Quick Jack close home.