Chester

1.30pm

Seven Emirates

He looks to have shaped okay on his debut at Thirsk, and you would hope and expect he would progress from that. He is quite a well-related Dark Angel colt but he clearly has to raise his game a fair degree to be troubling one or two of these, and a draw in five could have been better.

2.05pm

Durston

This looks a very tight-knit race on official figures, and my horse is actually the lowest-rated in the field. I know he was well backed in the Geoffrey Freer last time, but he did have an awful lot to find at the weights that day, so I think his third there was actually a good effort. He is a course-and -distance winner whose previous second to Leger candidate Sir Ron Priestley reads very well, so he has his chance. A good one, I think.

2.40pm

Paddy’s Motorbike

He has been tried over extreme trips on his last two starts, so hopefully the step back in trip will see him put his below-par last run behind him. His Ascot fifth was actually a good effort, but he had earlier won well over this trip in the soft at Goodwood, and he has form on a better surface, too. It looks like the stable is in very good nick over jumps.

3.50pm

Captain Jameson

A draw in 11 makes things very tough, obviously. It’s a shame as he has dropped down to a decent mark again and you could fancy him a fair bit on his 2018 form. He will clearly need all the luck going from his wide draw.