CONNECTIONS of two of the leading fancies for tomorrow's totesport Chester Cup are praying for different weather for their horses.

Mick Channon is hoping it stays dry for his charge Misternando, while connections of ante-post favourite Anak Pekan would like some rain before the start of Chester's May meeting tomorrow.

Chester report the going as good to firm at present and West Ilsley trainer Channon is hoping it stays that way for the extended two-and-a-quarter-mile contest.

Channon said: "That ground's brilliant at the moment, but if it goes really soft then I don't know if there's any point running Misternando. He will go on soft ground, but I don't know about it if it goes really soft.

"And he's drawn off the track as well. I know people say it doesn't mean a thing over two-and-a-quarter miles, but it does round there."

Misternando won 10 races last season and rose from 48 to 94 in the ratings. But the four-year-old stayer was unplaced last week off a mark of 101 in the Group Three Sagaro Stakes behind Risk Seeker in the mud at Ascot.

Channon is double handed with Almazin also in the maximum 18-runner field left in at yesterday's 48-hour declaration stage.

Michael Jarvis is hoping for an ease in the going for Anak Pekan, who has been in good form ahead of the £120,000 contest.

"I'd like to see some more rain. He's effective on softish ground. He has run good races on fast ground, but he's probably more effective with a bit of cut," said the Newmarket trainer. "He's fine. He's a pretty fit sort of horse, so he's been ticking over."

Jarvis's four-year-old won the Queen's Prize at Kempton over Easter and is the 3-1 favourite with the sponsors.

Mark Johnston, fresh from winning the UltimateBet.com 1,000 Guineas with Attraction on Sunday, is hoping Mana d'Argent can give him another big-race win. An Ascot specialist, Mana d'Argent was fifth to Rain-bow High in the Chester Cup three years ago and the Middleham trainer expects another big run from the seven-year-old.

He said: "It's the sort of race that, despite the fact that he's done all his winning at Ascot, you would have to think should suit him.

"He's in great form and there are no problems with him."

Chester's clerk of the course Ed Gretton said that there had been a millimetre of rain on Sunday night and a further five millimetres in all were expected yesterday.

Savannah Bay and Zibeline were taken out of the 22 fiveday entries, with the bottom two in the handicap, High Point and Sailor A'hoy, failing to make the cut.

With Savannah Bay having been taken out of the race, the weights have risen 2lb so Paul Cole, who also has Arch-duke Ferdinand entered, saddles the top weight Swing Wing on 9st 10lb.

Big Moment, who was runner-up to Hugs Dancer 12 months ago, is aiming to go one better for trainer Amanda Perrett.