'He loves Chester and has a very obvious chance' - who really likes their prospects in the sprint?

Every winner of this race in the last ten years has been drawn four or lower and that probably won’t surprise anyone over the minimum trip around this sharp left-handed track. However, the bias is a bit more pronounced on day two than day one as the rail is moved in.

So will it be as simple as narrowing it down to the four lowest-drawn runners this year? The market doesn’t think so because the overnight favourites, Roman Dragon and Jer Batt, are drawn in stall five and nine respectively.

Jer Batt, in particular, has his work cut out in nine. However, he is better drawn than he was on his sole start here in 2023 and he was beaten only a neck into second from stall 12 over course and distance on that occasion. He was in front over a furlong out that day and that suggests he is tactically versatile, which will help.

Hugo Palmer has booked Oisin Murphy to ride Roman Dragon and that looks a tip in itself. The champion jockey is 34-119 when riding for the Palmer stable in the last five seasons, for a £1 level-stake profit of £38.15, and a further 39 of those runners finished second and third.

The son of Heeraat has been busy out in Bahrain and was successful there in February, but returning to Chester will definitely suit this five-time course winner. However, it’s worth noting that horses who had at least five previous wins here are just 2-32 in recent seasons.

Fair Taxes(drawn one) and Angel Shared (four) have yet to record a course win, but both have the low draw that has been essential in recent years and they tend to show speed from the stalls. Whoever wins the early battle between the two might provide the answer this time.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Ed Walker, trainer of Balmoral Lady
She's in good nick and I hope she can pick up some prize-money if the ground isn't too quick. We have one eye on the Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock for her.

James Evans, trainer of Dream Composer
He's very well and he ran good on his reappearance at Pontefract. He's now running off a career-high mark, which will make life more difficult, but he's in good form. He's run well on soft ground at the track, so the fast ground and a draw in stall eight doesn't fill us with optimism. He's a fast horse, so you can't rule him out, but we're hopeful more than confident.

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Roman Dragon and Balon d'Or
Roman Dragon loves Chester. He's got a very obvious chance. He's never won over five furlongs around Chester but he has won over five in Bahrain. He had a very good winter out there but he's paid for that and is rated 95. He has to produce a career best but he's in the sort of form that he could. Balon d'Or is in good shape but will struggle with the draw. 

Owen Burrows, trainer of Fair Wind
We'll see what the ground is riding like, but he had quite a productive season last year before he had his blip at Goodwood. There was no excuse for that and he's been ready to go for a while now, so I'm keen to get a run into him. If it's on the quick side I'll have to chat to connections about running him.

Steph Hollinshead, trainer of Angel Shared
In an ideal world I'd like it to rain for her, but it's unlikely to happen. She's in good order, though, and she ran really well at Beverley last time. She'll come forward for that run and it looks the ideal race for her with not much weight on her back.
Reporting by Liam Headd

Read more of Thursday's previews:

2.35 Chester: Aidan O'Brien has won six of the last seven Dee Stakes - will his dominance continue with favourite Mount Kilimanjaro? 

3.05 Chester: St Leger second Illinois bids to land race record for Aidan O'Brien with a Willie Mullins-trained raider lurking in the field 

3.40 Chester: 'We've gone a bit Willie Mullins but all three have a chance' - Hugo Palmer admits following the Irish maestro's playbook 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.