ONCE again, racing on the Roodee drew a buoyant crowd of 18,229 to the opening day of Chester's 2004 season on Wednesday when the feature race was the totesport Chester Cup (Heritage Handicap) worth more than £54,000 to the winner.
Rahwaan set the pace in the marathon contest and was challenged on the final bend by Misternando and Anak Pekan, who justified a huge gamble to start 2-1 favourite. Philip Robinson sent the four-year-old to the head of affairs, pulling clear by five lengths at the winning post.
The action began with the Joseph Heler Cheshire Cheese Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes and a one-and-a-half-length win for 15-8 favourite Dance Night, ridden by Graham Gibbons. The Alan Bailey-trained Sapphire Dream, who didn't have the clearest of runs, was a game second. 'She ran a cracker and will come on for that run,' said Bailey.
The field was well strung out when jockey Ted Durcan came with a well-timed run to catch long-time leader Menhoubah in the closing stages of the Letheby & Christopher Cheshire Oaks, aboard 14-1 shot Hidden Hope to score a twoand-a-half-length victory.
Lake Garda and Benbaun were abreast two furlongs out in the Tess Graham Memorial Handicap Stakes with the former, sent off at 8-1, gaining one length to give Graham Gibbons a quick double.
Kieren Fallon urged the fast-finishing evens favourite Catwalk Cleric past the pacesetter Town House to record a one-length victory in the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Stakes.
The David M Robinson Diamond Design Handicap resulted in a half-length win for 5-1 chance Moss Vale, ahead of Green Manalishi.
The action closed with Division Two of the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Stakes and a triumph for 12-1 shot Tiviski. Bangor-on-Dee staged an evening meeting last Friday when Escort, a 10-1 chance ridden by Richard Hobson, made every yard to score by six lengths in the Red Cross Week Selling Handicap Hurdle, the first race on the card.
In the Wynnstay Hunt Supporters Club Novices' Handicap Steeplechase, Larry McGrath partnered 6-1 Bill's Echo to hold Spring Dawn by two-and-a-half lengths. Carl Llewellyn, aboard Hunting Yuppie, justified being 4-6 favourite in the Corwen Novices' Hurdle Race with a pillar-to-post four-length victory.
Search And Destroy was the 8-1 winner of the Corbett Bookmakers Handicap Steeplechase and will continue his current campaign until the end of June.
Gary Hanmer timed his winning run to perfection in the James Griffith Memorial Novices' Hunters' Steeplechase to win by half a length on the line. The 5-2 favourite Just Cliquot was recording her fifth successive win, and trainer Corinne Swar-brick said: 'She hated the ground but she's so brave and dug deep. Gary is such a star.'
The meeting, attended by a crowd of 3,808, concluded with the Llandudno Handicap Hurdle Race and a decisive five-length victory for 3-1 shot Penny Pictures, partnered by champion jockey Tony McCoy.
