Illinois had to dig deep for victory

UNFOURGETTABLE

- BY MIRROR REPORTER

ILLINOIS began his season in the best possible fashion with a gritty success in the Ladbrokes Big-Value You Can Bet On Ormonde Stakes at Chester.

A Royal Ascot winner in the Queen's Vase last year, he was also second in the Grand Prix de Paris and the St Leger.

He was giving weight away to some decent rivals due to a penalty picked up in France on his final outing but Ryan Moore was thankful to Sam James for coming off the rail on the pace setting Al Qareem.