Hugo Palmer on his big hopes at the Chester May Meeting

It's one of the most important weeks of the year for the local handler who trains at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables and the trainer feels he has a number of horses with chances among a raiding part which numbers around 20.

Speaking on Tuesday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast he said: "The important thing is that we have a winner, two would be fabulous and that’s what we’ve had a couple of times. Three would be our best return, we’re not looking for six or seven winners, we’re not going to get greedy."

And of Wait Geordie in the opening CAA Stellar Lily Agnes EBF Conditions Stakes he added: “He has shown right from the start extraordinary gate speed. I said to David Probert who rode him at Bath ‘I think you’ll win it from the gates’ and he did. But he was by no means just clinging on by the time they got to the line, he was two lengths to the good and he didn’t have to pick his stick up.

“It’s a race that has produced winners, it’s obviously very early in the season to really know the merits of various bits of form but I think there are three winners who came from in behind him so it’s better than none and gives us a little bit of hope that it was a decent enough race.

“We couldn’t believe he was 9/1 that day because he was strongly fancied by us which puts pay to people thinking we are gambling yard because we are certainly not. But we really fancied the horse and he went off at 9/1 so there must have been some fancied runners in behind."

When asked about other horses he's looking forward to at the meeting, Palmer added: "Wait Geordie could hopefully get the meeting off to a really good start for us. The following day Roman Dragon will line up in the five-furlong race he won for us last year and having won a Listed race in between, is back down to the same handicap mark as he won off last year.

“Dubai Bling and Stratusnine would both have strong chances in the same race and a lot will depend on how the draw comes out for those three and we’ll see if the magpie saluting continues to work.

“We’ve a nice horse in the last on Thursday (Be The Standard). We were disappointed when he was beaten so far on debut but he was then second to a certain Bow Echo at Newbury which doesn’t feel quite so depressing now a year on.

“He's a lovely horse and I think he’ll stay, he’s by Galiway and looks like he will. The only thing about him is he’s just ready. I’d love Chester to be in another ten days’ time for him. His work has been good and I think he’s ready but he will come forward for it.

“There’s another horse in the same silks, King Of Thunder, if he gets a draw in the mile race, his work has been very pleasing all spring.”

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