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 | 1pt win Model Pupil in 14.35 Chester at best-morning price. | Bred for the job and his attitude could be vital in this stamina test. |
There are just five runners in the MBNA Chester Vase on Thursday but it's an interesting race nonetheless and Aidan O'Brien, who has a very good record in the renowned Derby trial, runs David Livingston.
He is yet another beautifully bred son of Galileo who could be open to huge improvement, though he was beaten first time out in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown and in that race was another of the runners here, Call To Battle, who finished in second place.
Call To Battle is related down the line to Millenary, who won this race before going on to win the St Leger.
It didn't look the most competitive of Ballysax Stakes, but he shapes like a horse that is going to improve particularly with a bit of extra ground to cover.
On that form Call To Battle has the beating of David Livingston, but the two interesting runners here, particularly on grounds of stamina, are Minimize Risk and MODEL PUPIL.
Minimize Risk is related to that good stayer Darasim and came through the mud to win at Newbury second time out this season, getting up to win by a head after travelling strongly. We'll know he will go in the soft ground.
Equally stoutly-bred is Model Pupil and I thought he was impressive first time out at Newmarket as there was a strongly-fancied horse in his race called Shantaram, who looked to have his measure in the final furlong before Model Pupil fought back bravely.
That was a good performance in a good maiden and this horse is beautifully bred, by Sinndar out of a mare called Modesta and in that family are horses like Elmaamul, Reams of Verse and that good stayer Manifest.
I really like this horse's attitude and he could be a good winner for Charles Hills, whose father Barry was a regular winner at the Chester May Meeting.
The other runner is Mickdaam who has a lot more experience than most of the field, he was busy in Dubai and wasn't at all disgraced when second behind Rougemont at Newmarket's Craven Meeting.
Rougemont was a bit disappointing subsequently though, so Mickdaam probably has to improve a little bit though on his previous fourth behind Daddy Long Legs in the UAE Derby he has claims.
However, given the likely stamina-sapping conditions this could be between the stoutly-bred Minimize Risk and Model Pupil, with the latter getting the nod.
