Arms can be first leg of Hills double
The Lambourn trainer has an outstanding record at the prestigious Roodee fixture, having saddled 13 winners over the last five years.
And he can get proceedings off to a winning start with Farewell To Arms in the Joseph Heller Cheshire Cheese Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes.
Following a slightly unlucky second on her debut at Doncaster she went one better in great style at Pontefract where she scooted up by six lengths from Open Mind without breaking sweat.
She showed at Pontefract she can handle a bend and looks the ideal type for Chester’s unique turns.
Farewell To Arms has a poor draw in seven of eight but despite being only small she is very speedy and her excellent early pace can see her overcome the wide berth.
She is made the nap selection.
Hills can take the feature Victor Chandler Chester Vase for the third time in five years with Risk Taker.
He won the Group Three contest with Peshtigo in 1999 and with Mr Combustible two years later.
Risk Taker will need to improve to emulate that pair but he is a horse of enormous potential.
The son of Rainbow Quest opened his account on his reappearance at Newmarket last month when he romped home 18 lengths clear of his two rivals.
The level of the form, defeating big galloping maidens, does not amount to much but his style certainly suggested he was well up to taking his chance in Group class.
Risk Taker takes a big step up in grade today against three useful rivals but he can make the necessary progress to register a popular victory.
Burning Sun, one of Henry Cecil’s flagbearers last season, can make a winning return in the Listed Breitling Watches & Waltons of Chester Huxley Stakes.
The Danzig colt won the Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte last July and his only disappointing start came in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket when he trailed in last behind Storming Home.
The colt has been working nicely this spring and put up an impressive display under Richard Quinn on the Newmarket gallops last week when drawing readily clear of a stable companion.
Burning Sun carries a 7lb penalty for his French Group Two success but he has the scope to take high rank among the middle-distance performers and with the Cecil team in good form is worth an interest.
