RyanMoore

Red Cadeaux has probably got the strongest piece of form going into the race and he would get my vote in a very competitive Yorkshire Cup.

Although he has been touched off in a Melbourne Cup and third in a Hong Kong Vase, the piece of form I am referring to is his second to Colour Vision at Kempton last time.

I think Ed Dunlop thought he had left to bit to work on going into that race, and if that was the case, then he must have strong claims. Because I was very impressed by the winner at Kempton and took a high view of the form, especially as we pulled nine lengths clear of an in-form horse in third.

But there is plenty of depth to this race. Be Fabulous won the Royal Oak for Andre Fabre and is clearly a high-class animal and Harris Tweed won well at Newbury. But it was very bad ground there and I think you can confidently expect Arctic Cosmos, tailed off at Newbury, to run much better.

There is not that much between any of the eight in here, but there should be plenty of pace on with the likes of Harris Tweed and Electrolyser, and that should suit Red Cadeaux and Times Up.

And Red Cadeaux comes out top on my assessment of the race.

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13:30 - Swiss Franc
I think he has finished in midfield in the last two runnings of this race, and has run below par on his last two starts at this course, too. That isn't ideal but I wouldn't be overly-concerned about it and he makes a quick reappearance after a fair third, on ground probably softer than ideal, at Ascot on Saturday. I wouldn't say he is particularly well treated off 94 though, and he is up against it.


14:00 - Beatrice Aurora
There are at least half a dozen in here within 4-5lb of each other on official marks by the looks of it, and Beatrice Aurora is one. Progressed from being soundly beaten off a mark of 77 first time out last season to being placed in an Italian Group 1, and you had to be satisfied with her reappearance third in the Earl Of Sefton. If she has improved as much as she did last season from her first to second start, then we are in business. But, like I said, a win for any of these wouldn't come as too great of a surprise.


14:30
My intended mount Crius doesn't run. But, unlike many Classic trials this season, this promises to have a bearing on the Derby picture - though I think everyone is up against it with Camelot, whatever happens. Aidan's Ernest Hemingway could be anything after winning by a street at Dundalk, and the likes of Mandaean and Bonfire already have Group 1 form in the book. But I must say I was very impressed with Ektihaam at Newbury. I think races like the Dante are best watched though, as there are so many question marks about each horse. I remember World Domination coming into this race as the next big thing last year, but he disappointed there and he hasn't won a race since.


15:00 - Fury
Has run to a consistently high level in his three handicap runs this season, but that has counted against him as he struggled a bit off his revised 5lb higher mark when third at Newmarket earlier in the month. But the step back to a mile may well suit him, and he is another of my rides on the day with an each way chance, if not an obvious winning one.


15:35 - North Star Boy
I rode him when he won over 5f at Ascot as a two year old and over 6f at Newmarket on his reappearance, where we really didn't figure at any point. It is possible that forcing tactics and a drop back to the minimum trip will suit, but the official ratings tell you everything you need to know here. Namely, that he is the worst in at the weights. Es Que Love, who won the race in which North Star Boy ran in at Newmarket, really impressed me that day and will take the beating here. Pearl Secret looked decent at Doncaster, too.


16:10 - Dust Whirl
There are sure to be plenty of newcomers in here primed and fancied, but Dust Whirl has run two good races and hopefully will find the extra furlong here to his advantage, too. He has the form in the book and the experience, and hopefully he can get off the mark here.

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13:30
Labarinto
Impressed me when winning at Goodwood last July before disappointing at Newbury on his final start. I thought he would go well on his return to Newbury on his reappearance but he again failed to fire, never getting into contention and never really travelling for me. Whether it was the shorter trip or really deep ground I don't know - I thought he would be ok on it as he won on the soft as a two-year-old - but he certainly didn't show what he does at home. The handicapper has left him on the same mark after those two poor runs, but let's hope 1m2f and better ground will see him put his best foot forward. Flag Officer, Gatewood and Area Fifty One are the biggest dangers.


14:30
Salford Art
This doesn't look a vintage Musidora by anyone's standards but Twirl and The Fugue look the obvious two to beat. I rode Twirl when she finished second to Chrystanthemum (the winner was clearly primed and fit there, blinkered first time, and won next time) at The Curragh in March and she ran a nice race, and the sister to Irish 1,000/Pretty Polly winner Misty For Me should improve for the step up in trip. As should The Fugue, fourth in the 1,000 at Newmarket. I would favour Twirl. But my filly doesn't have too much to find on official ratings based on her Fillies Mile fourth. She will clearly have to step up on her Newmarket fourth on her reappearance though and her record suggests drying ground would be in her favour, so any more rain will be a worry.


15:00
Hoof It
As you would expect, this is a competitive Duke Of York, but I would be hopeful of a bold show from Hoof It. Winner of a handicap first time out at this meeting last year, he improved to run out a very impressive winner off a mark of 111 in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood before running good races in defeat in Group 1 company in the Nunthorpe here over 5f and the Betfred at Haydock. There are a few progressive sorts in here but hopefully he is the kind of big, powerful horse who would have improved himself from 4 to 5. If he has, he is the one to beat. He has shown form on the soft but I think he is a better horse on decent ground.


16:45
Intuition
Ran below par on heavy ground at Haydock, so any rain would probably be a worry. But I gather Paul Hanagan liked him when he won at Kempton and a mark of 77 could be ok. The horse he beat a short head there went on to win a handicap off a mark of 71 by a couple of lengths, and the third and fourth also won afterwards as well. But there are any number of similarly unexposed horses in here.

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I was also going to ride Sea Moon but he doesn't run now because of the ground. He will probably go to York now. So I only have the three rides at Chester, them I'm off to Nottingham tonight.

13:35 - Jamesie
Not ideally drawn in 7 but hopefully would have improved for his Naas reappearance and doesn't look badly treated on his second at Galway in July. Ground shouldn't be a worry.

14:05 - Uriah Heep
Finished a good second to Minimise Risk at Newbury and obviously many felt that was a hot maiden, as the winner was allowed to take his chance in the Vase yesterday and we take in this race rather than going for a maiden. Has to improve a good deal to trouble the likes of Bonfire and Astrology, but we pulled 7 lengths clear of the third at Newbury and we will handle the conditions. In fact, we are running him here because of the ground.

15:05 - Ballesteros
Decently drawn in three, and comes to Chester after a decent defeat of an in-form Bear Behind last time. Has gone up 6lb for that narrow win but has a lot going for him here.

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13:35 - Kings Warrior

I actually rode him on his debut at Newmarket in 2009 when he was trained by my Dad, and I liked him then. He then went to be trained in France, and looks to have done reasonably well in the provinces, including winning over 1m3f. He is obviously back in this country now and he returned to finish a good second to War Poet at Doncaster. Ground and trip should suit, has had a run, is drawn in one and clearly has a lot going for him.

14:05 - Marcret

Did well when trained in Italy last season, where he did most of his racing over 1m. But he gets this trip well enough and certainly won't mind the ground. Did ok in his three runs in Dubai this winter, finishing third to Musir and then I rode him to finish sixth to Viscount Nelson in a Group 2 over a mile and fifth to Simon Montfort off a mark of 108 in a handicap. Is rated 111, which I think could flatter him, but conditions should suit and he clearly has a chance in a competitive race. Connections obviously feel a first time hood will help him, too.

15:05 - Seanie

Beat a decent sort in Absolute Cracker over 7f at Fairyhouse last September and didn't get the run of the race on his reappearance. I haven't ridden him before but it looks like he could be a bit keen, so I have that to deal with as well as being drawn nine of nine. So we are obviously up against it.

16:15 - Rusty Rocket

Comes here in good form, having been victorious over the minimum trip at Nottingham and Haydock, narrowly winning on both occasions. Won over 7f at Catterick last season, so the step up to 6f won't be a problem, but the fact that he is drawn 13 of 14 certainly is. Has also gone up 9lb for those two wins and this looks a pretty hot handicap.

16:45 - Stand To Reason

Clearly, my best chance of the day. Looks a very progressive horse on the evidence of his three length win at Newbury under William Buick in the soft last month. Is 8lb higher here but, as a lightly raced 4yo on the upgrade sure to be suited by conditions, I would be hopeful that he would be able to cope with that rise.

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13:35 - Baddilini

Far more runners in this race than usual - well, at this stage anyway - and my mount is drawn eight of 14. As he started at 3-1, his debut success at Windsor clearly wasn't too much of a surprise to connections and after that race I think the trainer pinpointed this race. The form of that race isn't working out that well but he wasn't at all disgraced, giving 4lb away, when third of four to the smart Lyric Ace at Kempton earlier in the month. Has a good chance on the form he has shown to date but you don't need me to tell you that his draw isn't the best.

14:05 - Dreams of Fire

Is only rated 78, so you may think she would have been better off in a handicap rather than the Cheshire Oaks, as you would hope she would be competitive off that mark. But she is very well-related - she is a half-sister to Derby winner Kris Kin - and the important thing for her is to gain some black type, not win a handicap. And, while there are clearly some unexposed and promising types in here, I don't think this race will have too much of a bearing on the Oaks picture. She looked very promising when winning her Kempton maiden and should be suited by this longer trip. Soft ground would be a question mark.

14:35 - Harrison's Cave

I thought Gulf Of Naples would be hard to beat here until I saw where he was drawn. Horses can win big races from poor outside draws; I remember Overturn winning the Plate when crossing over from a wide draw a couple of years ago. But more often than not if they have to use up too much too early to get the lead, it counts against them in the straight here. But he did look a good horse at Ripon and another I like in here is Shubaat so reserve him if he gets a run. I ride Harrison's Cave, who I rode when tailed off and last of the finishers in the Breeders Cup Marathon in November. And he was reported to be coughing after his reappearance run at Leopardstown. He can be a tricky ride, is unproven over the trip, and drawn 15, so is perhaps not one to go overboard about. But on the plus side he is a half-brother to a Chester vase winner in Golden Sword, acts on any ground and is on a fair mark on the evidence of his Navan win last October.

15:40 - Star for Life

To be honest, I don't know much about the horse, but Mikael has booked me, so he hopefully thinks it has half a chance. On the evidence of his Wolverhampton fourth, he has to improve massively to even get competitive here, as Shantaram set a very high standard for us to beat. But Star For Life holds a Derby entry, so I assume he is better than that debut run suggests. We will see.

16:45 - Martin Chuzzlewit

Looked a decent horse when winning at Sandown last August, but I have to admit he has been a little disappointing since. But I took more positives out of his Newmarket run than most, and if you have a look at the video he is actually staying on again for me at the finish, albeit to finish a modest sixth. This longer trip will suit and he has been dropped 2lb, so I wouldn't be writing him off just yet. But, in 11 here, he is another of mine drawn badly, so we will have to see how the race pans out early. I haven't lost faith in him yet.

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13:50

Tassel

Is bred to be a two-year-old, being by Kyllachy out of Xtrasensory, who won at Goodwood first up for the stable as a juvenile. Is related to a number of juvenile winners, so I can see why some people will be fancying her here on breeding and connections alone. I believe she has shown a bit of ability at home for her Highclere owners, too. But one or two of Richard's better early juveniles have been coming on appreciably for their debuts, such as Lyric Ace, who must have improved the best part of two stone from his Kempton run when winning for me at Leicester last week - so bear in that mind. And of course, bear in mind the opposition. You can be sure plenty of horses in here will have been pleasing their trainers at home as well. And these youngsters have probably been working on better ground than they may face today, following yesterday's rain.

14:25

Tenure

How can you have a strong opinion on a field of 20 backward unraced 3yos? Well, plenty of people will as I hear there are a fair few fancied, as always! My horse is by Dansili out of a dam who won the Cheshire Oaks for Barry Hills in 2005, so he's bred for the job. But so are a dozen of others in here. I hope he runs well but he doesn't hold any big race entries at the moment.

15:00

Coupe De Ville

Won three races over 7f here last season and landed a massive payday when winning the Tattersalls Million 2yo trophy by a length from stablemate Tell Dad. Had earlier won a listed race over 1m at Salisbury on easy ground, so you would have to be hopeful he would get 1m2f as a 3yo. However, it is not at all certain on breeding. But on form he has a decent shot at another very valuable prize. Mickdaam didn't get the best of runs when fourth in the UAE Derby and will go well if recovered from that trip.

15:35

High Standing

I won on my first three rides on him, including in the 2009 Wokingham, but not for a while and he looks up against it here judged on his reappearance seventh to The Cheka at Doncaster, his first start for Jeremy Gask. But it was a fair first effort of the season, I suppose, and if he steps up on that run, who knows? These sprints are often decided by the draw, pace and luck in running. Hopefully, everything will go right and allow us to run up to our best. And he has won on soft, which might prove significant if the rain persists and really gets into the ground. But Genki, who won this first time out last season, and Sirius Prospect, not at his best at Doncaster but who looked very smart last season, look the two to beat.

16:10

Trumpet Major

This is a big field for a Craven but all eyes will be focused on the hype horse of the spring, Most Improved, current second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas. But to be fair it isn't all hype, as he finished third in the Dewhurst and is presumably rated a much-improved horse by his trainer, whose Delegator won this race before bumping into a certain Sea The Stars in the Guineas. But don't lose sight of the fact that he doesn't have too much in hand of this field on form - indeed, he only finished half-a-length and a neck in front of my mount, Trumpet Major at Newmarket, and mine didn't get the best of runs at all that day. He probably wouldn't want too much rain, as he disappointed on his only start on the soft, but looked a real good horse on occasions last season, in the Dewhurst and when winning the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Obviously, there are number of potential big improvers in this field too but Crius already has a Group 3 win in the book.

16:45

Beatrice Aurora

Twice Over is the clear stand-out here and would have benefited from giving Dubai a miss this winter. He looks by far the most likely winner - especially as he is also a Group 1 winner without a penalty - though I noted that connections say that he has been held up a little, so that at least gives us all some hope. And my mount certainly was very progressive last season, getting beat off a mark of 78 first time up and then rounding off her campaign seven starts later with a narrow second in a Group 1 in Italy over 1m2f. Is effective on fast and soft ground, so any further rain isn't of great concern and John Dunlop's horses are going quite well.

17:20

Alabanka

We had a lot of horses that didn't make it to the track for various reasons last season and I would like to think we have some decent cards to play with unraced 3yos. And Albanka certainly looks the part on paper. She cost $350,000 a yearling and is a Giant's Causeway half-sister to Guineas winner Sleepytime, among others. As with the Wood Ditton though, there are 20 unexposed horses in here, some with fair form already, and who knows what is lurking among them? And I have a feeling Albanka will need the experience.

17:50

Martin Chuzzlewit

It is painful to recall Doctor Fremantle getting beaten off a mark of 84 in this race a few years ago (though to be fair the winner, Bronze Cannon, was racing off the same mark and went on to win Group 2s) and, by the looks of it, it could again be a hot handicap. Martin Chuzzlewit hold entries in the both the Dante and the Derby, so he will be needing to step up on his Haydock run to be able to start justifying those kind of entries. But he is better than he showed there, won with cut in the ground at Sandown, and a mark of 90 may be fair. I quite like his chances but I really fear Main Sequence, who I think could be well treated off just a mark of 89. He impressed me when winning at Yarmouth and a nursery here in October. A 10lb rise for that win may seriously underestimate his talent.

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13:50

Courage

Is owned by Cheveley Park and is an Invincible Spirit half-brother to a 1m2f winner, so is possibly bred to be suited by longer than 7f. Is already a gelding and doesn't have any big race entries, and this looks a pretty hot maiden, too. I would think that he would need the experience against some promising types today, but you never truly know until they step on a racetrack.

15:00

Valbchek

Plenty of people obviously thought he was a certainty on his debut at Lingfield last month as he started at 4-11. And they were right, as he got the job done well. I have ridden him at home and think he is potentially a nice horse and one who is clearly open to loads of improvement. But it is asking a lot of him to be winning in this company so soon. The form of the Lingfield race hasn't been advertised by those who have come out subsequently and you have horses in here with Group 1 placed form, Simitar and Balty Boys, and he would have to improve two stone to get near to them if they run up to their juvenile form. But it's a very valuable prize and we will know more about him today.

15:35

Zumbi

I rode him when he won on his debut over 6f at Ascot and he improved to finish a two length third in the Acomb on his only other start last season. This is a nice sort of race in which to start him off and I believe he is forward and decently enough handicapped to be competitive here. He may even be my best chance of the day.

16:10

Ruselliana

This is probably not the strongest Nell Gwyn I have seen, and I think she ought to run well. I wasn't on board for her debut win at Leicester but I was when she was a good second to Gamilati in the Cherry Hinton, and the winner didn't do the form any harm in Dubai this winter before her setback. We thought she would then go and win the Princess Margaret at Ascot but she didn't come back right when disappointing there, so that wasn't her true form.

16:45

Producer

They liked this colt last season and he did well for Richard Hannon, winning three over 7f at Epsom and then finishing fourth in the Horris Hill. I haven't ridden him yet but he looks to have a decent chance on the ratings. But the big question mark is if he will stay an extra two furlongs. His breeding suggests he may struggle but let's see. And the opposition could be quite hot too. I liked the look of Jungle Beat when he won at Newbury and he is maybe the one to beat.

17:20

Sash of Honour

Is by Galileo out of a Breeders Cup Distaff winner, so the trip should suit. But he may need the experience before he starts winning races, especially as there are some decent maidens and potential big improvers in this field, as you would obviously expect at the Craven meeting.

17:55

Noth Star Boy

I was on board him when he won his maiden at Ascot and he went on to run some decent races in Group company, finishing seventh in the Coventry and fourth in the July Stakes. Is probably fairly handicapped off a mark of 97, and I can see why some people may fancy him, as trip and ground will suit as well. But this looks a competitive little handicap to me and Richard's other runner, Amazing Storm, is also not without a chance. I was on the winner when he was second at Kempton earlier in the month, and he did well to finish so close to me that day (though he has gone up 3lb for that).

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For those of you who want to hear my thoughts on the jockeys title and horses to follow, I have some bad news.

I find both subjects incredibly boring, so I won't waste my time, and yours, by going through the motions here.

I am being serious.

And that will be a common theme in my Betfair columns; if I don't have anything constructive to add then I will keep quiet. The worst thing people in this sport can do when writing these columns is to talk drivel, or say something for effect - that they neither mean or truly believe -just to fill space.

Punters, and readers, will soon see through that.

To state the obvious, my aim is to do the best job I can, and too many things can go wrong with horses to look long term.

And how can I give you a horse to follow when I don't know how it will progress this spring, what it will be racing against, or on what ground and over which trip, or from what handicap mark?

So not only do I find it boring, I think it is pretty bloody stupid as well.

Something up-to-date and immediate is far more worthwhile, and one of the regular features in the column this year will see me picking out horses from other yards that have particularly impressed me.

And the first horse to get the ball rolling is Midsummer Sun.

I didn't ride in the race that it won at Lingfield on Saturday but I watched it from the weighing room and I loved the way it extended for Ian when asked for its effort.

It did very well to win considering it still looked green and raced three wide throughout, and it broke the track record, too.

It won that handicap mark of 94 and the half-brother to Midday looked a Group horse to me, as long as it keeps sound and healthy.

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