Ryan Moore: The views on my five rides at Chester today

Ryan will be hoping for a winner or two at Chester today

Ryan Moore talks exclusively to Betfair about his five rides on the first day of the Chester Cup meeting...

13:45 Chester - Steventon Star

Non-runner.

14:15 Chester - Elik

My filly is officially rated just 76 going into this, and in normal circumstances you wouldn't give a horse like that any chance in a listed race. But this race does throw up some shocks - indeed, Good Morning Star was rated even lower when winning this last year at odds of 50-1 - and it doesn't look a strong race at all. It certainly lacks a stand-out performer with any serious Oaks pretensions, it seems, so I imagine everyone is coming into the race with one aim. Namely to get some black type, with a win being an added bonus. And I do think that my filly has each way claims. She was working pretty well before her reappearance at Wolverhampton but she may have bumped into one in the shape of John Gosden's newcomer Woodland Aria that night. But she ran well, has continued to please us, and she will stay this longer trip alright. And we are also drawn ok in five, too.

14:45 Chester - Justification

Given his profile, I am sure that he will be one of the market leaders today. But I doubt if he will be able to do what he did in winning over 1m6f at Leopardstown last time, coming from last to first, around here. And the fact that he has gone up 8lb for that length win doesn't shout to me that he is obviously well-handicapped. But the positives are that he is lightly-raced, improving, well drawn in three, and looks the kind of well-related horse who should be suited to this longer trip. In fact, he is a Montjeu half-brother to Gold Cup winner Kayf Tara. So he does have a fair bit going for him, I suppose.

15:50 Chester - Russian Realm

I am not sure if the Sandown maiden in which he finished third is up to that much, but he certainly showed plenty of promise there. And being by Dansili out of the top class Russian Rhythm, this 1m2f trip should suit him well. The draw has done us no favours but he has been working pretty well and, with a good trip, then I can see him being involved in the finish. But I have heard that there are a couple in here fancied, too. In fact, I was due to ride William's newcomer Battalion at the Craven meeting but I pulled him out at the start there as he was lame. He was well-backed that day, apparently.

16:25 Chester - Ballesteros

Although he has won on fast ground, you need everything right to be winning a Chester sprint when drawn 8 of 8. And in Ballesteros' case, I reckon that definitely includes ground with ease in it. So I reckon his chance will increase a good deal if there is rain; it was soft when I won a handicap on him at this meeting last year.

17:00 Chester - Noble Bull

I don't know much about the horse, to be honest. He doesn't look particularly well handicapped to me on his juvenile form, or his reappearance second, but he is relatively lightly-raced, well drawn in two and Charlie's horses continue in great form. So perhaps we have chances.