England: Call to Battle vs. David Livingston in Chester Vase

The Irish invaders Call to Battle and David Livingston, both stakes winners last year at 2, are expected to dominate Thursday’s Group 3 Chester Vase at Chester Racecourse in England.

The Chester Vase, run over about 1 1/2 miles on turf for 3-year-old colts and geldings, is a prep for the English Derby at Epsom Downs on June 2.

David Livingston, who won the Group 2 Beresford Stakes in Ireland last September, is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who swept the English 1000 and 2000 Guineas last weekend. David Livingston, by Galileo, was fifth in his first start of 2012, the Ballysax Stakes in Ireland last month.

Call to Battle, trained by John Oxx, was second in the Ballysax, his first start of the year.

Mickdaam, Minimise Risk and Model Pupil also start in the Chester Vase.

In future-book betting, David Livingston was 40-1 for the English Derby as of Tuesday. The O’Brien-trained Camelot, who won the English 2000 Guineas, was favored, at odds as low as even-money.