'Hopefully the dream is just starting' - can Mr McCann strike for star owners?

Homeserve Dee Stakes (Listed) | 1m2½f, 3yo colts & geldings | ITV4/Sky

Aidan O'Brien is usually a good person to start with when it comes to trials at Chester and the Ballydoyle master has landed this race eight times, although more recently the Listed contest has tended to play second fiddle to the Vase in terms of Derby pointers.

Oath (1999) and Kris Kin (2003) both won the Dee en route to Epsom glory, while the O'Brien pair Magician and Circus Maximus are other class acts on the race's roll of honour.

Chester has long been happy hunting ground for O'Brien, while Newmarket trials are not top of his agenda so perhaps Star Of India's Craven outing against Native Trail was used to get a handle on the Godolphin colt.

Beaten six and a quarter lengths into fifth, Star Of India was hardly disgraced on the Rowley Mile and, given his connections, commands obvious respect.

Martyn Meade also has a line on that Craven form via Zechariah, who finished a place behind Star Of India.

Another Newmarket trial worth revisiting is the Feilden Stakes where Sonny Liston and the Meade-trained Cresta were fourth and fifth, and they meet again here.

Sonny Liston: should be more come from the three-year-oldCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Eydon, the winner of that contest, was an excellent fourth – two places behind Native Trail – in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas.

Sonny Liston was making only his second appearance and first since July in the Feilden, so he was entitled to be as keen as he was, and his in-form trainer Charlie Hills would be realistic in expecting improvement.

The Lawman colt has long been held in high regard by Hills and the same is true with regards Meade and Cresta, who was also far too free in the Feilden.

It seems their camps are banking on the twists and turns of Chester concentrating their runners' minds.

Mr McCann has won at Epsom, which has few if any equals when it comes to unconventional tracks, while Harrow does scream an obvious contender for going 1m2½f.

Roger Varian, who won the Dee with El Drama 12 months ago, feels the trip will benefit his Dubai Poet, whose Autumn Stakes third to 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus reads well, although one gets the feeling something significant will have to occur here to trouble those compiling Derby odds.

Palmer hoping to score

Mr McCann might be a certainty if his owners' fine run of form rubs off on him.

Formerly trained by Tom Dascombe, Mr McCann is now in the care of Hugo Palmer and races for the AJT Group, which includes Liverpool stars Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, along with ex-Red Adam Lallana.

The Anfield outfit secured their place in the Champions League Final after seeing off Villarreal on Tuesday night and remain on course for an unprecedented season of success.

The Liverpool players will be hoping for more success with Mr McCann hereCredit: Quality Sport Images

"I didn't watch the game, it was too late for me," Palmer said. "Their dream lives on though and hopefully the dream for this horse is just starting."

Fourth to Native Trail in Newmarket's Superlative Stakes last term, the Kodiac colt has also won three times, and Palmer said: "He's a really bonny horse who has a lovely way of going. He improved with every run last year, which obviously wasn't for me, but he's a horse I've enjoyed getting to know and hopefully he can run a nice race.

"We'll find out about the trip, but his work suggests it will be a positive and he improved for a mile and a bit last year, while Best Solution won Group 1s for Godolphin over a mile and a half and he was by Kodiac."

What they say

Martyn Meade, trainer of Cresta
He ran a bit free last time, which was the problem. We're running him in a hood, which should make him settle and Chester is obviously an acquired taste, but I think it will be better for him being on the turn than seeing the massive green spaces of Newmarket. He's quite an active horse and might have been a bit ring-rusty at Newmarket, so having that run should help him. He absolutely tells us he's a good horse. He's already kind of proved that with his runs and getting him to settle will get the best out of him. I don't think the trip will be a problem.

Roger Varian: trainer won the Dee Stakes last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Roger Varian, trainer of Dubai Poet
He ran well at Newcastle when he shaped as if this trip would suit him and he's come on for it at home. He handles ease in the ground and this is a fact-finding mission.

Charlie Hills, trainer of Sonny Liston
I hope he can progress from Newmarket last time, when they went absolutely no pace at all. That was only his second run and we didn't learn as much as we hoped. The run will have done him good and we've been happy with him. He's drawn wider than ideal in six, but Chester's a nice, turning track and there's plenty to look at and help him settle. He's a horse I've plenty of belief in.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Star Of India
We always thought that he'd be able to step up in trip. He had his first start of the season in the Craven; we wanted him to get some experience and it was a race that came along at the right time for him. This will be his third start, after winning a maiden over seven furlongs last year, and we're hoping for a good run.

Thursday's race previews:

1.30 Chester: 'He has the best chance by virtue of the draw' - who's confident and who's not?

2.05 Chester: Can Andrew Balding improve impressive Chester strike-rate in the Deepbridge?

3.10 Chester: 'He should enjoy zipping round Chester' - Classic team Highclere have high hopes

Ormonde Stakes analysis: What type of horse is best equipped to strike in this programme book anomaly? (£)

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