Frankie Dettori called up by Dermot Weld for Chester Cup ride on Falcon Eight

Dermot Weld and Frankie Dettori will team up for just the seventh time in Britain on Friday, with Sunday's 1,000 Guineas-winning jockey to partner topweight Falcon Eight in Friday's tote+ Chester Cup Handicap.

Dettori's only winner for the legendary Irish trainer came on Falcon Eight at Sandown in 2019, and the £125,000 prize looks much more winnable after favourite Almighwar was taken out of the race at Wednesday's declaration stage.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained runner was a highly promising second at Newbury last month and the regally-bred son of Oaks heroine Taghrooda was a 4-1 shot in ante-post lists.

Not So Sleepy will likely become the new Chester Cup favourite for Hughie Morrison and Graham Lee. Fifth in the Champion Hurdle in March, the dual-purpose performer was previously seen on the Flat when finishing a creditable fourth in the Cesarewitch.

Golden Rules and Postileo, who were also prominent in the betting, missed out on the final field of 17 with the Alan King-trained Coeur De Lion last to make the cut. Postileo will instead run in the tote+ Chester Plate, which is headed by the 94-rated Mancini.

The going is currently good to soft at the track and clerk of the course Andrew Morris is not expecting conditions to change markedly before the big race on Friday.

He said on Wednesday: "We've currently got beautiful sunshine, which we haven't seen too much of so far this morning.

"We've had some showers, as we thought we might, and some hail amounting to about 1mm of rain. I'll go and have a look in a bit shortly but we might ease to good to soft, soft in places.

"Throughout the week we'll have some sunshine and some rain but nothing too noticeable I don't think. I think ground conditions will stay where they are for the week. The forecast isn't warm or windy enough to dry things out so it's unlikely to change much."

The Group 2 Melodi Media Huxley Stakes has attracted just five runners including the talented Armory for Aidan O'Brien. The four-year-old makes his first start of the season after capping off last term when second in the Cox Plate.

Armory will face Sangarius, Bangkok, Palavecino and Bharani Star.

tote+ Chester Cup Handicap confirmed runners and riders

1 Falcon EightFrankie Dettori
2 Who Dares WinsTom Marquand
3 The Grand VisirRichard Kingscote
4 ThemaxwecanBen Curtis
5 Lucky DealAndrew Breslin (5)
6 Rare GroovePJ McDonald
7 Not So SleepyGraham Lee
8 CardanoRyan Moore
9 ReshounAndrea Atzeni
10 HochfeldConnor Beasley
11 Trumpet Man Franny Norton
12 Nate The GreatDavid Probert
13 Future InvestmentHector Crouch
14 Glencadam GloryJason Hart
15 Rochester HouseJoe Fanning
16 Blakeney Point Ella McCain (5)
17 Coeur De LionThore Hammer Hansen (5)

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