As it happened: O'Brien dominant as Epsom favourites Benvenuto Cellini and Amelia Earhart shine | Gosden reacts to 'stupid hype' around I'm The One

By Matt Rennie at Chester

Come October or November, we could be looking back at this day as the one where two Flat champions made their names. I think you can safely bet I'm The One is the most likely to be.

That's despite the latter drifting from odds-on to evens in the Cheshire Oaks, while Amelia Earhart's price has flew in to 15-8 (from 9-4).

 Her Newbury debut win was simply special, and her turbo charge in the closing stages is exactly what makes champions. While John Gosden was keen to play down her Oaks hopes, there's no doubt Epsom is on Clarehaven's minds as they follow the Enable route.

I don't think she'll reach that superstar's heights, but I cannot see her rise stopping today. Amelia Earhart is a strange one, with a hood and blinkers on. Do Ballydoyle want her to settle better or be sharpened up? Who knows!

• The next Enable? John Gosden plays down comparisons - but bookies are running scared of I'm The One's 'sass and sparkle' 

Away from Chester, what an appropriately-named horse for a gamble this is.

There has been a huge move in the mile apprentice handicap at Kempton this evening (6.00) with Miss Chester backed into a best-priced 4-1 having been 20-1 when the markets opened yesterday.

Her only win in ten starts came over 7f at this track in May last year. She hasn't finished higher than fourth in any of her eight races since and has been beaten at odds of 33-1, 50-1, 100-1 and 125-1 in her last four, but her mark has dropped to a new low of 52 having been as high as 73 last July.

Her trainer Mark Usher said this morning that Kempton is his filly's "favourite track" and that being eased 3lb "should give her a competitive each-way chance".

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore bid to burst the bubble of I'm The One with Amelia Earhart

At Chester, here are some of the notable market movers with racing just over an hour away.

Despite the "glowing" William Buick, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Amelia Earhart has been strong all morning in the Cheshire Oaks, while there has been a drift on I'm The One, who is out to 11-10 in a place having been a mix of 8-11 and 4-6 overnight.

Remember, I'm The One was, perhaps playfully, described as "the next Enable" by Roger Charlton before her emphatic winning debut at Nebwury last month!

1.30 Wait Geordie (11-8 from 15-8)

2.05 Snow Master (2-1 from 7-2)

2.35 Amelia Earhart (2-1 from 5-2)

3.05 Benvenuto Cellini (2-5 from 8-15)

3.40 Temple Of Athena (5 from 13-2)

4.10 Arabian Desert (5-6 from 6-4)

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “The trials on the Roodee are often informative, but to have the favourites for both the Derby and the Oaks on the same day is really exciting, although it’s a bit of a different story with the two of them with Benvenuto Cellini very strong despite his short price, while I’m The One is drifting with support for the next in the market Amelia Earhart.”

By Matt Rennie at Chester

Martin Dwyer knows what it takes to win the Derby and the Oaks, and the retired jockey believes we could see the winners of both of those on the Roodee.

Dwyer, a proud Evertonian, may have watched Liverpool's former star striker Robbie Fowler do the Chester Cup draw from the paddock, but his thoughts were fixed on Benvenuto Cellini and I'm The One today.

He said: "I wouldn't be surprised. Benvenuto Cellini looked pretty impressive last year. I know he was beaten at Doncaster, but the ground was heavy, and he was always going to progress as a three-year-old. Aidan came here with Lambourn last year and I wouldn't be surprised if Benvenuto Cellini follows up.

"John and Thady Gosden's filly looked special at Newbury. I spoke to William Buick afterwards and he was glowing in his report about her. He's not normally like that. It's really exciting to see what we've got today."

I'm The One has earned a big reputation after winning a maiden at Newbury by six lengthsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Sir Mark Prescott: trainer of BlindedbythelightsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Unsurprisingly, Puturhandstogether has drifted to 8-1 (from 6) after the Chester Cup draw, while Blindedbythelights is now outright favourite with bet365 at 5-1 (from 6).

Chester Cup latest betting
bet365: 5 Blindedbythelights, 11-2 Galileo Dame, 7 A Piece Of Heaven, 8 Puturhandstogether, 9 Berkshire Sundance, 11 Moon Over Miami, Zanndabad, 12 Spirit Mixer, Team Player, 14 Alphonse Le Grande, Peaky Blinder 16 Maxi King, 20 Chemistry, 25 Duraji, Lips Freedom, 40 Aimeric, Tashkhan

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

The king of Chester is on course and has been joined by 'God', so racing can begin.

Franny Norton, pictured here with Liverpool legend and racehorse owner Robbie Fowler, had few peers round here in his riding days and has pinpointed a couple of jockeys to follow this week on the unique track.

"Ryan Moore rides a lot of good horses but he rides the track really well – he rides any track really well. Harry Davies is another, having won the last two Chester Cups. There's not a lot between a lot of them, so long as they're positive and have that race awareness. It's often who gets the most luck round here."

Norton rides out for local trainer Hugo Palmer and when asked for one from the stable to follow this week, he said: "I like the horse in the first race [Wait Geordie]. He's a lovely little horse by Mehmas who's well-balanced and fast out of the gates."

Fowler has just finished the draw for the Chester Cup, so his popularity might have taken a hit with JP McManus and Billy Loughnane.

By Graeme Rodway, deputy betting editor

It’s not often that the draw is a massive factor in a race run over 2m2½f, but then it’s not common that the said race is run around a track like Chester, which is constantly on the turn.

It therefore doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that a low draw towards the inside is a massive advantage and that is borne out by the statistics.

There have been 15 runnings since the start of 2010, with the 2020 edition cancelled due to Covid-19, and the best performing stalls are four and two.

East India Dock came from stall six when winning last year's Chester CupCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Horses drawn in stall four have beaten 65 per cent of their rivals, while those in stall two have accounted for 61 per cent. That is five per cent more than the next closest competitor.

Three, six, seven and one all fare well, although stall one performs worst of those and that’s probably because horses who don’t front run tend to get caught on the inside with no room.

This year look out for Blindedbythelights, who has plucked the plum draw in four, while coming from stall two is Peaky Blinder. Chemistry (three), Galileo Dame (six) and Moon Over Miami (seven) have all been lucky, while A Piece Of Heaven has to overcome the inside stall.

In the last 30 years no stall has produced more winners than stall 4 - and joint-favourite Blindedbythelights gets the prime spot this time.

Joseph O'Brien will still be happy with the berths for A Piece Of Heaven (1) and Galileo Dame (6).

In stall order we go:

1. A Piece Of Heaven
2. Peaky Blinder
3. Chemistry
4. Blindedbythelights
5. Lips Freedom
6. Galileo Dame
7. Moon Over Miami
8. Maxi King
9. Zanndabad
10. Spirit Mixer
11. Tashkhan
12. Team Player
13. Aimeric
14. Alphonse Le Grande
15. Berkshire Sundance
16. Duraji
17. Puturhandstogether

And your final two:

Tashkhan - stall 11

Zanndabad - 9 

Five of the last ten winners have been drawn in stalls 1-6, however it is not impossible for those in the big numbers to overcome their wide draws as Making Miracles (stall 16 in 2019) and Metier (stall 14 in 2023) have proved.

A sliver of hope for backers of Puturhandstogether but Billy Loughnane will have to be at his best.

Aimeric - stall 13

Alphonse Le Grande - 14

Spirit Mixer - 10

Galileo Dame - 6 (ideal spot for Ryan Moore)

Chemistry - 3

Team Player - stall 12

Lips Freedom - 5

Puturhandstogether - 17 (Robbie Fowler is off JP McManus's Christmas card list)

Duraji - 16

A Piece Of Heaven - 1

We're under way:

Moon Over Miami - stall 7

Blindedbythelights - 4

Maxi King - 8

Berkshire Sundance - 15

Peaky Blinder - 2

The Chester Cup draw is imminent with former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler on hand!

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

The course remains bathed in sunshine in the build-up to the start of racing at 1.30, with the ground described as good.

Clerk of the course Eloise Quayle said: "We're good all round with a GoingStick reading of 7.1, which was slightly lower than I expected when walking it. It's definitely dried back a bit but it's still slightly on the slow side turning down the back, whereas it's slightly quicker turning beyond the winning line.

"We're looking dry and it's slightly brighter than forecast and not too breezy. There's no rain forecast for today, but It's looking like there could be some over the last two days, particularly tomorrow."

By Matt Rennie at Chester

I've already had to fork out a tenner for a new tie at Marks and Spencer in Chester city centre after leaving mine hung up in my wardrobe, but hopefully Ruby's Angel can recoup that in the 6f handicap (3.40).

Forget her Kempton defeat on her last run in September, she was clearly not right there. Before that, she thrived being near the pace when landing a valuable nursery at York's Ebor meeting.

Her draw in stall one can see her scoot towards the front and she may not be for catching. Hugo Palmer will have definitely earmarked this as well. 

Ryan Moore has a fantastic record at ChesterCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

For years Franny Norton was the king of Chester, but since his retirement in 2024 there is no doubt about who is now sitting in that throne.

In the last five years, Ryan Moore has ridden 21 winners from 40 rides at Chester. That 53 per cent strike-rate his highest at any course in Britain during that time period, and second only to Dundalk when including Ireland, where he has won 16 of his 29 rides.

He's only got two today but they both come in the day's big races as he sits on Benvenuto Cellini in the Chester Vase and Amelia Earhart in the Cheshire Oaks. You probably don't need reminding that he rode the winners in both of those races last year too, with Lambourn and Minnie Hauk both going on to triumph at Epsom.

Two of his rides tomorrow are also for Aidan O'Brien (Constitution River in the Dee Stakes and Jan Brueghel in the Ormonde) but then he stretches his wings a little with a ride for George Boughey in the Bow Echo silks on Moonfall in the 7½f handicap.

On Friday, alongside Galileo Dame, he will ride for Richard Hughes in the 1m2½f handicap on Whip Cracker, who was a good third in the Spring Cup at Newbury most recently.

Bet365 have got a reshaped Chester Cup market back up following declarations

Blindedbythelights, a runner-up in six of his last seven starts, heads their market alongside Joseph O'Brien pair Galileo Dame and Puturhandstogether.

Billy Loughnane will still be on a high after winning the 2,000 Guineas on Bow Echo last weekendCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Reminder: Chester master Ryan Moore rides Galileo Dame, who was second in a Grade 1 over hurdles at last year's Dublin Racing Festival, while Billy Loughnane is on Puturhandstogether, who has landed two huge handicaps for his owner JP McManus in the last year and a bit, winning the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival and the Irish Cesarewitch a few months later.

Chester Cup latest betting (which could all change after the draw)
bet365 6 Blindedbythelights, Galileo Dame, Puturhandstogether, 8 A Piece Of Heaven, Berkshire Sundance, 11 Moon Over Miami, Zanndabad, 12  Alphonse Le Grande, Spirit Mixer, Team Player, 16 Maxi King, Peaky Blinder, 20 Duraji, 25 Chemistry, Lips Freedom, 40 Aimeric

By Andrew Dietz at Chester

Dry and bright start at Chester with a light and cooling breeze. No better place to be on a day like this.

Famous last words but conditions should be pretty stable today.

Hold off on your bets for now though, we've still got the all-important draw details to come with everyone looking to avoid those high outside numbers.

The first four horses in the weights for the Chester Plate – Lips Freedom, Alphonse Le Grande, Blindedbythelights and Peaky Blinder – were all declared but have also made the final field for the Chester Cup.

Therefore, your 17 for the Plate is as follows:

• Hamsiyann Oisin Murphy
• Sax Appeal Jason Hart
• Tribal Star Adam Caffrey
• Who's Glen Paul Mulrennan
• Kate O'Riley Luke Morris
• KIngstonian no rider booked yet
• Mr Escobar Sean Dylan Bowen
• Call My Bluff John Egan
• Carlton David Probert
• Shrimp Shady Rob Hornby
• Imperial Sovereign Billy Loughnane
• Gibside Duran Fentiman
• It's All About You Darragh Keenan
• Morning Air Jason Watson
• Wahraan Shay Farmer
• St Faz Mikey Sheehy
• Boxing Great no rider booked yet

Oisin Murphy on Tony Martin's 2024 runner-up Hamsiyann, who is only a pound higher than when second that day to stablemate Alphonse Le Grande, looks a pretty notable booking to me...