Three-day meeting opens with fast and furious juvenile contest

1.50 Chester
Stellar Group Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes | Class 2 | 2yo | 5f ITV/RUK

The meeting gets off to a speedy start with 11 juveniles darting around the tight track.

Nine runners have racecourse experience under their belts, including Big Time Maybe, who showed plenty of dash to finish second on debut at Bath last month behind subsequent winner Mutanaaseq.

The Golden Cue, trained by Steph Hollinshead, and Sir Walter, trained by Eric Alston, are the duo who will be having their first outings.

Keep an eye on Johnston

Mark Johnston saddled Mukhmal and Rah Rah to win this race in 2014 and 2015. Emilia James, who won on her second start in clear-cut fashion at Beverley last month, is his representative this time.

What they say

Tom Dascombe, trainer of Big Time Maybe
He's very well and in good shape. We're a little disappointed not to have won last time out at Bath, but more importantly than that, we'd rather have been drawn in single figures at Chester. He's drawn ten and that's more limiting to his chances than anything else; we'll just have to hope for the best.

Eric Alston, trainer of Sir Walter
I said to the owners the one draw I didn't want was an outside one with a first-time-out two-year-old, especially at Chester, but that's what we've got [11]. We were going to run her a day later but she would have got eliminated.

Richard Fahey, trainer of Requinto Dawn
It was probably a good run when he was second at Musselburgh, and he's got a nice draw. I think the track will suit him.

Charlie Johnston, son of Mark Johnston, trainer of Emilia James
When she won at Beverley, Joe [Fanning] said she was all speed and that the track wasn't really playing to her strengths, so we thought of this race straight away. If she'd been drawn low [is in stall nine] I'd have been quite confident, but we've had one win from a high draw in this race quite recently, so it can be done, and she does have a lot of speed.

David Evans, trainer of Felisa, Floss The Hoss and Yogi's Girl
Yogi's Girl would be my choice. I thought she'd run well at Wolverhampton first time, but she hung badly and came back with an abscess. But then she won well at Windsor. Felisa is drawn badly, so I can't see her winning. She ran quite well at Wolverhampton and the owners want a day out. Floss The Hoss ran well at Beverley first time but then hated it at Brighton.