Places at a premium in Chester Cup as 43 entered
Thursday 28 April 2016 14:07, UK
Ante-post favourite Steve Rogers features among 43 horses remaining in the Betway Chester Cup on the Roodee on Wednesday.
With only a maximum field of 17 allowed, places are at a premium but supporters of the Roger Varian-trained five-year-old can rest easy as Steve Rogers is now guaranteed a berth in the starting line-up.
He has already showed his liking for the quaint circuit by winning over two miles there in September before running with credit in the Cesarewitch.
Steve Rogers warmed up for this special test when making a successful reappearance at Kempton recently.
"He'll run at Chester. He galloped on Tuesday and went very well," Varian told Racing UK.
"He won on his comeback run at Kempton. He's a lovely horse and very straightforward to train and stays well.
"He seems to go on any ground. I think he's still progressive."
The weights are now headed by Mark Johnston's Oriental Fox, runner-up in the Cesarewitch.
Quick Jack, second to Trip To Paris 12 months, is set to try to go one better for Irish trainer Tony Martin.
Others in the mix include other possible Irish challengers in Dermot Weld's Silver Concorde and the Gordon Elliott-trained Eshtiaal.
North Yorkshire trainer Richard Fahey has six entries - Angel Gabrial, Duke Of Clarence, Gabrial The Hero, English Summer, Gabrial's King and Gabrial's Star - as he seeks a third win in this prestigious handicap after Greenwich Meantime (2007) and Address Unknown (2013).
