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Chester Betting: Through the card for Wednesday's racing

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If you're going to have a bet on the Chester races tomorrow, then you must check out Graham Cunningham's preview right here. He analyses every race on Wednesday's card.

If it rains on the Roodee this week then a few weathermen (and women) need to take a long hard look at themselves. Sunshine and temperatures into the seventies are promised for Chester's historic May meeting and, whatever the weather, a few things can be taken for granted:

• Firstly; the racing will be fiercely competitive, with jockeyship and luck in-running more important around this constantly turning track than just about any other venue.

• Secondly; the effects of the draw will be debated long and hard, with no getting away from the fact that a place on the wide outside is often a kiss of death in sprints.

• Thirdly; the place will be rammed as Cheshire's well heeled trendy set cross fashion swords with a huge influx of lairy lads and lasses from nearby Liverpool and Manchester.

Whether Sir Alex Ferguson will allow his Man Utd superstars off the leash for their traditional lads' day out beneath the Roman walls is debatable given that they face a crucial Premiership decider against Wigan this weekend. Whether he does or not, the stage is set for three frenetic days of action on and off the track. All we need now is a few sharp angles with which we can take on Betfair's backers and layers.

1.45

Form and running styles point to She's A Shaw Thing being very hard to beat in the opener, especially if her rider can use her early pace to control things. The odds will be tight, so I won't be going overboard, but David Evans will have her fully primed and She's A Shaw Thing looked very speedy indeed when slamming a fair rival at Nottingham.

Those looking for a lay option might find Aspen Darlin a suitable vehicle. Granted, Alan Bailey's filly did the job well enough on her Warwick debut, but she took nearly every yard to assert in a race run in 65 seconds and could find herself outpaced here.

Suggestions: Back She's A Shaw Thing and lay Aspen Darlin

2.15

Light Shift went on to Epsom glory after winning this last season. It's unlikely there are any Classic heroines among this lot, but Barry Hills has won this three times in the last decade and Sugar Mint will be the obvious staring point for many punters.

On the plus side, her official mark of 104 is much the highest in this field and the form of her Bath maiden win was franked when runner-up Duntulum won well off 84 at HQ on Saturday. She's bred to relish middle distances, too, but I have a nagging feeling there might be a stronger stayer in this field.

Pinning down a back option from an unexposed bunch including Laughter, Sail and Changing Skies is tricky, so I'll be keeping it simple and laying Sugar Mint in the hope that the improvers have progressed enough to see her off.

Suggestion: Lay Sugar Mint

2.45
It's cards on the table time as regards the run for the cheeses. I've had a good win and place bet on Double Banded at [7.0] and will be very disappointed if he doesn't go very close indeed based on a highly progressive three-year-old campaign and an emphatic success in a valuable handicap at Nottingham on his reappearance.

He's undeniably well treated with just a 3lb penalty and, although the same comment also applies to Ripon scorer Highland Legacy, John Dunlop's charge might just have a shade more tactical speed than Michael Bell's runner.

If truth be told, most of this lot look much more exposed than the two market leaders. Shipmaster will do well to score off a mark of 104, while the luckless Fair Along is 10lb higher than when beaten by Greenwich Meantime last year.

With a little more fortune Greenwich Meantime could have been lining up seeking a third consecutive win in this historic contest. He's plainly handicapped to go close again - just 1lb above last year - but it's interesting to note that Richard Fahey feels he could have done with another ten days to bring him to his very best again.

Of the longshots, Som Tala appeals much more than most. Granted, he was only fifth last year, but he didn't get a clean run and the booking of Dettori for the first time is eyecatching as he bids to make amends.

Suggestions: Back Double Banded and Som Tala win and place

3.15
Seven years have passed since a horse berthed higher than six won this sprint and, though rules are made to be broken, the laws of physics suggest that those drawn high face a tough time again.

Some might suggest a block lay of those drawn high, but Betfair backers will want a high price to tempt them in and my angle on the race revolves around King Orchisios and Caribbean Coral.

King Orchisios has never run at Chester before, but his early speed from stall 4 should be an asset and my advice is to find the best win and place prices available with the aim of laying off in running at 3 and 1.3 respectively.

Laying Chester specialists is fraught with risk, especially if they have a reasonable draw, but a small lay of Caribbean Coral looks worthwhile given that he ran a stinker at Beverley last time and is 5lb wrong at the weights here.

Suggestion: Back to lay King Orchisios win and place. Lay Caribbean Coral win and place

4.00
It usually takes a smart horse to land this maiden and John Gosden and Barry Hills have captured five of the last ten renewals between them.

It makes sense to focus on their representatives again, then, starting with Gozza's Moonquake. In short, I'm against him. Yes, he shaped with promise in a division of the Wood Ditton on his debut, but he finished just behind King's Charm and the extra quarter mile is far from certain to suit given that his sire Mr Greeley doesn't get many middle distance horses.

Next up are Bazza's duo, namely Crystal Rock and Daraahem. Crystal Rock has run well here and boasts an official mark of 81, but he's a keen goer and vulnerable to improvers.

By contrast, Daraahem is on the up and looked a winner waiting to happen when splitting Pampas Cat and subsequent winner Checklow at Newmarket recently. He was well backed there, so it would be unwise to expect much progress in terms of fitness, but Daraahem will be ridden close up and looks bound to have a say in the finish again.

Suggestions: Back Daraahem win and place. Lay Moonquake win and place

4.35
Is Allied Powers really as good as he looked when bolting up at Pontefract last week? The rest are in trouble if he is, but bear in mind that was an ordinary race run in a bog which produced a time almost 25 seconds outside standard.

Nailing down the one to beat him is far from easy given that the likes of Patkai, Tighnabruaich, Leamington and Burn The Breeze all look open to progress. However, the beauty of Betfair is that you don't have to name the winner.

Laying a loser is just as rewarding provided you don't go in too deep and, at the likely odds, I will take a crack at Allied Powers as he steps up from Class 5 to Class 3 company.

Suggestion: Lay Allied Powers