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Five things to look out for on the second day of Chester's May meeting

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Oliver Brett marks your card for the second day of Chester's May meeting

The Chester Vase: A recent history

View the MBNA Chester Vase runners and riders here

This Group 3 was put firmly back on the map in terms of its viability as a Derby trial when Ruler Of The World landed the spoils in 2013 en route to Epsom glory.

A taxing extended 1m4f on a course where you need to get a horse balanced to run its race, it is certainly as meaningful a trial as any in replicating the demands of Epsom and Aidan O'Brien has invested his resources to great effect in the race, scooping it seven times in the last 10 years.

Shergar (1981) remains by far the most famous winner of the race. US Army Ranger, last year's victor, has proved disappointing, losing all five of his subsequent races.

How does this year's renewal look?

O'Brien has left little to chance this year, producing no less than four of the eight runners.

Venice Beach, a half-brother to Danedream by Galileo, is clearly bred for the job.

It took him three races to get off the mark, and when he did, at Tipperary on 10 April, he did it by staying on very strongly after slipping the field entering the final furlong.

That was also over a mile and a half so stamina is not in question and Ryan Moore rides.

Cunco, a son of Frankel, who we have seen plenty of already, should be the colt making Venice Beach work hardest.

Beaten in all six races that followed his winning debut, he won the Sandown Classic Trial on seasonal reappearance despite failing to settle.

Ballydoyle tactics

Last Saturday's 2,000 Guineas was a masterclass in yard strategy from the Ballydoyle cohort, with

Churchill scooting up in open space on the inside after Lancaster Bomber, his stablemate, had set steady fractions.

In theory, O'Brien has three others who could make Cunco's life difficult on Thursday.

Many will aso remember Seamie Heffernan's tender ride in this race last year on Port Douglas (the O'Brien second string) with US Army Ranger (Moore's 4-11 shot) winning by a short head.

Veteran Gabrial set for Group 3 bid:

View the sportingbet.com Huxley Stakes runners and riders here

Gabrial is the kind of horse who shows that you don't need to win all the time to be a valuable asset, having accumulated more than £700,000 in total earnings despite winning just eight times in 62 attempts.

His best efforts were probably in 2013, when coming third behind Solow in both the QEII Stakes and the Sussex Stakes.

The Marwan Koukash-owned eight-year-old would be in with a real chance of winning Cheshire's Group 3 Huxley Stakes if reproducing that level of form, though this looks a very competitive renewal with four of the six rated 113 or 114.

Dascombe runs five in juvenile event

Trainers like to support their local racecourses and Tom Dascombe is doing that in spades by putting five of his horses up against each other in the English Fine Cottons EBF Maiden Stakes over five furlongs.

His quintet all have previous racecourse experience, and the booking of Richard Kingscote on Dragons Tail suggests that would be the stable's best hope of bringing home the bacon.

The Dascombe team may have their work cut out to deny Roger Varian's Dahik, however, who was narrowly beaten on his recent debut in a decent looking race at Doncaster.