Metaphoric form delights Bell

Michael Bell hopes Metaphoric can maintain his unbeaten run in Thursday’s MBNA Chester Vase on the Roodee.

The son of Montjeu won on his racecourse bow at Nottingham last year and followed up on his debut in handicap company last month at Newmarket.

Bell is now hoping the three-year-old can book his ticket to Epsom and follow in the hoofprints of 2005 Derby hero Motivator – a former Fitzroy House inmate.

“The race he won looked a competitive race but obviously he is going to have to step up on that,” said Bell.

“But he looks a progressive horse who is well worthy of his place in a Derby trial.

“Jamie Spencer likes him a lot and even though he is by Montjeu, he has a rock-solid temperament – unlike a lot of his stock – so we live in hope.

“Jamie has ridden him in both his races and he is convinced he will have no problem handling the track.

“He’s been a bit of dark horse; he won his maiden impressively last year and he has gone the right way over the winter so we hope he will keep on improving.”