Chester Racing Tips: Back Spa's Dancer to call the tune

US Army Ranger is the star attraction at Chester on Thursday as he bids to cement his position at the head of the Derby betting by winning the Vase at 15:10.

In fact, he currently shares favouritism at around the 5-1 mark with Midterm, but whether or not he will, can - or should - shorten too much by winning what looks an uncompetitive Group 3 is open to doubt. He is around 1-2 to win the race, after all.

But it will be fascinating to see what he can do against a solid, if unspectacular, field headed by stablemate Port Douglas, who has to carry a 4lb penalty for his Group 2 Beresford Stakes win.

The fact that he won the maiden that Ruler Of The World did at the Curragh last month has added to the hype somewhat, as does the fact that he also bids to follow in the footsteps of the 2013 Derby winner here as well.

It is hard to know what to make of his heavy-ground maiden win over 1m2f at the Curragh.

It was clearly an encouraging debut and Ryan Moore was gentle on him in victory, but the bare form is nothing special - the runner-up was stuffed next time, albeit in a messy race, though the third has won his maiden since - and you are simply relying on the stable's superb record in this race if you are backing him at around the 1.51/2 mark.

I am going to take him on with his stablemate Port Douglas at 9.08/1, as I think he is the only horse in here who can give the favourite a race.

Sure, he has to give US Army Ranger 4lb and is clearly not held in the same regard. But he is a Group 2 winner, is officially the best horse in the race by at least 9lb, and his pedigree screams that there is big improvement to come now he steps up to 1m4f+.

He ran in blinkers when fourth in the Racing Post Trophy and can be a lazy sort - perhaps not ideal around here, granted - but he is tried in a tongue-tie and cheekpieces to sharpen him up, and he is no forlorn hope.

Put it this way, he is going to be sent on from the front, and if the favourite isn't as good as Ballydoyle believe then I expect him to be the one to pick up the pieces. And 25-1 Golden Sword beat his 13-8 stablemate Masterofthehorse (subsequently a good fifth at Epsom and runner-up in the Irish Derby) in this race in 2009 after making all.

Felix De Vega could have gone up by more than 8lb for laughing at his rivals in the heavy at Ripon last time, after which connections stressed how much he loved the ground.

But he won on fast ground last season, so the drying conditions wouldn't worry me one bit, and I think he is the one to side with in the 14:10.

Stall one is clearly a positive for a horse that likes to go forward and I'm happy to side with him at odds of 9.08/1; he was ridiculously impressive at Ripon and that stroll came in a good time, too.

As you would expect, there are plenty of other strong candidates in here, not least Perfect Cracker and Darshini, back to form last time after being gelded in the winter - and it is interesting to see English Summer, pulled out of the Chester Cup on Tuesday morning, running as well - but I'm pretty keen on the Easterby runner.

Conditions look right for Western Hymn to get back on the winning trail in the Huxley Stakes at 14:40, as he gets 7lb from main form rival Cannock Chase, who carries a hefty penalty for his Canadian Grade 1 win last season.

But I am in no rush to back him at a short price, not least because I think this has the makings of a messy race with little obvious pace. Indeed, there may be a shock, but it doesn't appeal as a betting heat to me.

I wouldn't be the biggest fan of 3yo handicaps at this time of the year and the 15:45, is unsurprisingly trappy, even if three are out of the handicap.

Arcanada looked the likeliest winner, but obviously being drawn widest in nine is a negative. But it ensures you get an inflated price at least, and he was impressive when making all at Doncaster last time, for which a 7lb rise was fair enough. However, I'll sit this one out.

In the RUK races at the end of the card, there are a couple of competitive handicaps, and I like Spa's Dancer at 13.012/1 or bigger in the 17:25.

He wouldn't have the unexposed profile of Mustaqqil, bought out of John Gosden's stable for 22,000gns last year, but he is an in-form horse who finished a fair fourth at this meeting last year off an 8lb higher mark.

He tends to give himself plenty to do by starting slowly - so you may want to wait until he falls out of the stalls and back him in running - but the cheekpieces are on for the first time in five years, and perhaps they will help him be more alert and to concentrate on the job in hand.

If he does, he is on a very fair mark.

Recommended Bets

Back Felix De Vega at 9.08/1 in the 14:10
Back Port Douglas at 9.08/1 in the 15:10
Back Spa's Dancer at 13.012/1 in the 17:25