I think U S S Michigan must be taken on at 13/8 in the 3.35 Chelmsford.
The story is that the colt comes here as a potential stop on the way to the Kentucky Derby but O'Brien seemed a bit vague on how the Chelmsford race fitted in as a qualification for the USA race. He did state that if Ballydoyle do have a runner in the Kentucky Derby this year that it is likely to be U S S Michigan.
William Hill briefly had U S S Michigan at 7/2 for the Chelmsford race but they trimmed him in fairly rapidly. I had a look later, when he was 5/2 but was not interested at those odds, so have to be against him at shorter still.
I watched U S S Michigan's first race and he looked a really big 2YO who then ran really well for one so clueless as to how to use his big frame. He finished second and was put away early for the season, as they saw him as a big horse who needed more time. His re-appearance this year saw him win readily a Dundalk maiden but he was 2/5 Fav that day and he beat home a horse rated in the mid 70's.
U S S Michigan steps up to a mile now and as always with O'Brien you can expect improvement but he was off the track for 8 months prior to his comeback and I notice that he was entered in the Group 3 Gladness at Naas on Saturday and this looks like the far softer option they have gone with here.
Dark Vision landed the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, which is a group 2 race, where he was landing the hat trick for trainer Mark Johnston. He was disappointing in the Champagne Stakes next time, when last of 6 behind Too Darn Hot (Misses the Greenham due to heat in a splint) His best effort is way ahead of U S S Michigan's form thus far but I am not a fan of Johnston, who seems prone to having horse's run an awful race out of the blue and then pop up later at huge odds.
Fanaar is fit and has a run under his belt but it was a weak enough race he won last time and he's more exposed than some. At about 9/2 he seems no value to me.
I am going with Bye Bye Hong Kong, who had a decent first season. He has form with Fanaar through Arctic Sound, who won a good Nursery before winning the group 3 Tattersalls. He then ran behind Too Darn Hot in the same race as Dark Vision, faring slightly better in fifth but well ahead of the Johnston horse.
I feel Andrew Balding's son of Street Sense can improve this year and his last effort looked like he was ready for a mile now. The Balding stable is 7/29 (24%) this past fortnight and I thought he was better value at 5/1 than U S S Michigan and Dark Vision, who dominate the selections for the race but seem too short for me given the factors.
3.35 Chelmsford Bye Bye Hong Kong 5/1
