Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan, who sent out Petrula to win at Chester yesterday, can follow-up with Halmahera on the same course tomorrow.

Winner of the Portland Handicap at Doncaster last season, Halmahera will have the services of Fergal Lynch as he bids to regain the winning thread in the opening race, the Cerruti Rated Handicap, over five furlongs.

The eight-year-old goes to Chester after a sound comeback effort at Thirsk, where he finished third last month to Hidden Dragon, beaten just over two lengths.

A hold-up horse, who loves to be produced late, Halmahera will give his supporters a few anxious moments over this tight, turning course. But hopes are high that he will have his head in front when it matters.

Asian Heights gets my Nap vote in the £75,000 betfair.com Ormonde Stakes, which his trainer and jockey, Geoff Wragg and Darryll Holland, won last year with St Expedit.

Asian Heights is on something of a retrieving mission, having failed by just a short-head to beat Warrsan in a Group 3 race at Newbury last month.

Considering Bollin Eric was back in fourth that day, and the winner has since gone on to win the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, there was certainly nothing wrong with that form, and Asian Heights should now be ready to strike the glory trail.

He probably has most to fear from Razkalla, unbeaten in three races and the mount of Frankie Dettori, who rode two Chester winners yesterday.

Kieren Fallon can do little wrong at present, and the champion jockey, who followed-up his 1,000 Guineas success on Russian Rhythm by completing a treble at Kempton on Monday, has the leg-up on Big Bad Bob in the Philip Leverhulme Dee Stakes, a Group 3 contest, worth £70,000.

A winner on this course last season, Big Bad Bob went from strength to strength as a juvenile and hopes are high in the Arundel camp of his trainer John Dunlop that he can develop into a Derby horse this term.

This race will do much to determine Big Bad Bob's prospects at Epsom, and he comes from a yard in good form.

Mick Easterby can get his name on the scoreboard, courtesy of Sporting Gesture in the Bryant Homes Handicap.

Dale Gibson's mount, a narrow winner at Pontefract two outings ago, finished fourth at Redcar last week in a slowly-run race which developed into nothing more than a three-furlong sprint, bad news for a horse like him, who requires a truly-run event to show his best.

Tomorrow's step-up to an extended mile and a half should suit Sporting Gesture, who is a previous winner on this track.

Barry Hills seldom fails to have a winner at this meeting, and the Lambourn trainer has good prospects with Faithful Warrior in the Stratstone Aston Martin Rated Handicap over an extended seven furlongs.

A good second in the Newbury Spring Cup on his reappearance, Faithful Warrior then finished in the ruck when stepped-up to 10 furlongs at Epsom.

A previous winner over this course and distance, he has plenty going for him tomorrow, with Darryll Holland in the saddle.

At Southwell, where racing is taking place on grass and on sand, a note should be made of Hawk, trained by David Nicholls, who goes for the Nicholl Food Packaging Handicap over five furlongs. The gelding has shown signs of running into form and he looks capable of defying top weight.

- Vodafone Oaks second favourite Time Honoured is set to miss the Epsom Classic after suffering a setback.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained daughter of the high-class Time Charter won her maiden race at Leicester on the second of her two starts as a juvenile and was a general 12-1 chance for the Oaks.

But Will Edmeades, racing manager to Time Honoured's owner-breeder Robert Barnett, said: "She has had a little bit of a setback and we will now wait for the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot later in June."

- Promising young jockey Liam Cummins faces broke a leg in a freak accident at Huntingdon races.

He was on the Ben De Haan-trained Barbizon in the Eastern Handicap Chase when a horse fell in front of them and cannoned into Cummins as it was getting up.

Barbizon did not fall but was almost at a standstill and Cummins was in so much pain that he had to jump off .

- The Princess Royal has agreed to become the new patron of the Injured Jockeys' Fund. She succeeds the late Queen Mother.

Thursday's tips:

Chester

1.55 Halmahera, 2.25 Big Bad Bob, 2.55 Asian Heights (Nap), 3.30 Ocean Silk, 4.05 Faithful Warrior, 4.40 Sporting Gesture.

Southwell

2.15 Des, 2.45 Hawk, 3.15 Gold Guest, 3.50 Good Vibrations, 4.25 Favoriso, 5.00 Giunchiglio, 5.30 Baileys Imperial.

- Tomorrow's other race meeting is at Folkestone.

Updated: 12:22 Wednesday, May 07, 2003