Three-year-old handicaps at the Chester May meeting are usually red hot, and today's final race is no exception, the weights being headed by Sir Michael Stoute's Derby entry, Patkai. His mark of 90 could prove to be lenient, but it won't be easy to give 8lb to Burn The Breeze (4.35). Henry Cecil has given this filly an Irish Oaks entry and she can build on her reappearance win at Newbury, with this extra two furlongs in her favour. She got an enterprising ride from Ted Durcan last time and similar tactics can pay off round this sharp circuit.
Fakenham's jumps card provides a decent bet in the shape of Apocalozzo (2.55). Trainer Tim Vaughan does well with his summer jumpers, particularly when Richard Johnson is booked and this winning point-to-pointer has got into this ordinary chase off a handy looking mark.
At Beverley, Nelsons Column (3.05) could be poised to end a lengthy losing run. He ran his best race for a while when third to Harry The Hawk here last month and is thrown in on his old form.
Chris Cook writes . . .
Hullo folks, I'll be offering the updates this afternoon, with typically exciting action from Chester.
1.50pm Doncaster Rover wins the Lily Agnes
A 5f sprint is the right way to open Chester's May meeting but many punters have got off on the wrong foot, as the odds-on (and inappropriately named) She's A Shaw Thing got turned over, having been unable to dominate from stall four of seven. Frankie Dettori finds the net with second-fav Doncaster Rover and does a flying dismount in the winner's enclosure. He's on Shameless Exhibitionist in the next.
2.20pm Murtagh gets the gambled-on Sail home
Following his brilliance in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas, when he drove Henrythenavigator to the front at just the right moment, Johnny Murtagh does it again, producing Sail (4-1 into 9-4) at just the right moment to collar Sugar Mint in the Cheshire Oaks.
Michael Hills on the runner-up clocked Sail over the nose with his whip in the final stages, but she just shook her head and ran past him anyway. A brave filly!
Laughter was one of the first off the bridle and it still seems to me that Sir Michael Stoute's better horses are not yet at their peak.
2.40pm Here comes the money for Som Tala in the Chester Cup
Mick Channon's beast, fifth in the race last year when getting an uninspired ride from Tadhg O'Shea, is 12-1 from 16-1 with Dettori on board this time.
Full House and Shipmaster both pulled up
2.50pm Shocker as 33-1 Bulwark wins Chester Cup
Dettori appeared to have done enough on pre-race gamble Som Tala, who was nicely placed throughout, but Jim Crowley brought Bulwark from a mile back to snatch it from him. Bulwark hasn't won for almost two years but he was twice third in Group Two company early last year, when with Amanda Perrett. She can't have enjoyed watching him win this for Ian Williams, for whom this is a career high.
Tilt and Double Banded filled the places.
3.20pm Bertoliver makes all in the sprint handicap
But the story of the race was the disaster that befell the favourite King Orchisios, who broke down badly at halfway and appeared to have broken his leg.
4pm Traditional Hills winner
Chester wouldn't be Chester without a Barry Hills-trained winner and Mr Combustible is on the scoresheet in the 10-furlong maiden with Daraahem, ridden by his much-maligned son Richard. To be fair, I think I could have won on it. Maraased ran a nice race to be third in the second colours of winning owner Sheikh Hamdan and should be winning soon.
4.10pm Tipping update
Apocalozzo won at 15-8 over the sticks at Fakenham but Nelsons Column finished down the field at Beverley. Ron's nap of the day, Burn The Breeze, goes in the next at Chester and is currently 5-1 on Betfair.
4.40pm Allied Powers wins the last but Patkai the one to follow
Stoute's Patkai should have won that 1m4f handicap. Having been tapped for toe through the first half of the race, he ran on really strongly and may well have won if he had been steered around the field. But Ryan Moore sent him towards the rail on the run to the final bend and ran into the inevitable traffic problems. Once clear, he shot into second but the winner had gone. He'd do better at a more galloping track.
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