Winners take the low road at Chester

Being drawn low at Chester has always been regarded as a distinct advantage and the opening day of the May meeting proved no exception, with three of the winners coming from stall one.

One of those to oblige from the inside draw was Hidden Hope, who relished the testing conditions to record an emphatic victory in the Letheby & Christopher Cheshire Oaks.

But it had little relevance as far as a Classic trial is concerned with the winner not even entered in the Vodafone Oaks and more likely to be seen at Royal Ascot.

“I didn’t put her in the Oaks because it was a bit early to put her in,” said winning trainer Geoff Wragg.

“But I’ve put her in at Ascot in the Ribblesdale and I hope it will be the right race for her. She stays well and I just hope she’ll run a good race in the Ribblesdale.”

Menhoubah set a searching pace on ground changed to soft following some heavy showers and Darryll Holland soon had Clive Brittain’s filly well ahead of the others, although Hidden Hope was not far away racing in a clear second.

Ted Durcan asked Hidden Hope to take closer order approaching the final bend and the 14-1 chance was soon in command, leading a furlong out and finding plenty to draw two and a half lengths clear of Menhoubah at the line.

Crystal Curling kept on for third a further two lengthsaway.

“I rode her last week at home. She worked well and I expected her to run a big race today,” said Durcan.

“I was on the rail all the way round and I knew the mile and a half would be no problem. She loved the ground.

“Having the rail all the way helped, but you have to have a horse who acts round here.”

Of the runner-up, Brittain said: “Now that she has proved her stamina over this sort of trip it gives us a lot more options.

“I am delighted with her. She really made them work.”

Crystal Curling’s trainer, Barry Hills added: “Whether she is Oaks class or not I don’t know, but judged by the way most of mine have been running I am sure she will come on a lot for the run.”

Menhoubah and Crystal Curling are both unchanged at 40-1 for the Oaks with William Hill, Coral and Victor Chandler.

Bryan McMahon recorded a 25-1 double with wins from Dance Night and Lake Garda, who both raced from the inside stall.

Dance Night, the heavily-backed 15-8 favourite, ran out the convincing winner of the Joseph Heler Cheshire Cheese Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes.

But in order to find racing room once in the short straight, Graham Gibbons had to switch the market leader around the front-running Monashee Prince and in doing so bumped into King After on his outside.

Once in the open, Dance Night strode clear to score by a length and a half from Sapphire Dream.

The Tamworth trainer said: “It’s a race and these lads have to earn a living and if you don’t ride any winners you soon get the push.

“But I think it was greenness more than anything. Chester is a very unique place especially for two-year-olds and you do get some scrimmaging. I’m afraid that’s racing, but I think he won it on merit.”

And for plans for the winner McMahon, added: “I think he’ll stay. He was going on there. He wasn’t slowing down and he picked up.

“We’ll have to see what the other races turn out like. Speed is the thing round here and if you do a good time you can go pretty well anywhere.”

As a result of his manoeuvre, Gibbons was banned for one day (May 16) for careless riding, but he completed his first double at the prestigious fixture when making most of the running on Lake Garda in the Tess Graham Memorial Handicap.

Afterwards, McMahon, 67, said: “You have high days sometimes. You have to make best of the highs because low ones take a long time to get over.”

Adrian Nicholls was banned for one day (May 16) for careless riding on third home Sessay.

Hills has an outstanding record at Chester, but the Lambourn handler drew a rare blank at the meeting 12 months ago.

However, he went some way to making amends when saddling top weight Moss Vale to land the David M Robinson Diamond Design Handicap in the hands of his son Michael.

“I hoped he would be able to give the weight away as I’ve always thought he was quite useful,” the trainer said.

“He will certainly improve with age and I’m pleased I was able to find the right race for him.

Sometimes it can be hard to avoid taking on the older horses at this time of year.”

Champion jockey Kieren Fallon got on the scoresheet when steering Catwalk Cleric to victory from stall three in the first division of the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Stakes.

But he needed all his strength to get the even-money favourite home by a length from long-time leader Town House.

“He just jinked two furlongs out and I thought the other horse had got away from him. But that’s why you have K Fallon on board,” said successful trainer Mark Wallace.

“He’s a six-furlong horse and he wants better ground. No two-year-old would like that ground.”