Tom Dascombe has 'live chance' to start May meeting with Lily Agnes winner

1.45 Chester
ICM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes | 5f | 2yo | ITV4/Sky

If there’s one meeting Tom Dascombe targets more than any other it is probably Chester’s May meeting and he isn’t averse to having a runner in this traditional meeting curtain-raiser.

Dascombe has saddled 12 runners in the last nine years in this race but he has not enjoyed much luck. Quatuor was successful for the yard in 2013, but since then the local trainer has twice saddled the runner-up and his Dark Thunder finished third back in 2018.

Maybe things will drop right this year for Devious Angel, who has been lucky with the draw in stall two and comes here after a wide-margin victory on the Southwell Fibresand.

Devious Angel showed plenty of speed to make all that day and looks likely to see off Navello (drawn one) on her inside to make it to the front. It would be a strange preparation for a two-year-old winner at this track, though. Since the start of 2010, only one juvenile has run at the Chester May meeting after competing at Southwell last time and they were beaten.

Navello brings the best form into the race courtesy of his win at Brighton last week, when he achieved a Racing Post Rating of 85 but he is also the most exposed runner after three outings.

Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Devious Angel has 'obvious chance'

Tom Dascombe believes he can start the week in winning style with the speedy Devious Angel, who looked tailor-made for the challenge this unique circuit presents when breaking smartly and making every yard in an easy win at Southwell last time out.

Dascombe, based 20 miles south of Chester, has an excellent overall record with his two-year-old runners at the track, with nine winners in the last two seasons at a strike-rate of 26 per cent.

"She's got a nice chance," he said. "She improved – like most of ours do – for her first run where she showed good pace and gate speed last time. If she does that from stall two then she's going to have an obvious chance."

Devious Angel: impressive winner at Southwell last timeCredit: Pool

While Dascombe does not have any representatives in the five Listed or Group-level contests at the May meeting, he does have last-time-out winner Rajinsky entered in the feature Chester Cup.

The trainer added: "Unfortunately we haven't got as many runners this year as we'd normally like to have. It's just the way it is. But it's a huge help to go into the meeting with a live chance in the first race."

What they say

David O'Meara, trainer of Beauzon
He's drawn nicely in stall three and he took a nice step forward from his first run when he won well at Ripon. If it got a bit too soft we'd be unsure about how he'd cope with it.

David Loughnane, trainer of Mojomaker
He's done everything right so far. He's got the widest draw of all and I'd like to be a bit closer with a few horses around us. We're happy with him at home, it's his first day at school but we'd be hopeful of a decent run.

George Boughey, trainer of Navello
He's improved with each run and he's the most experienced in the race. I've always thought he's versatile ground-wise and he's well drawn in one. My only worry is he might run out of real estate as they're quick turning in and at the line before you know it.

Reporting by James Stevens

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