Swift Sailor, a typically progressive Mark Johnston performer, is fancied to successfully negotiate a step up in class by lifting the totesport Chester Cup at the historic Roodeye this afternoon.

The four-year-old showed promise in two starts last year but turned in a vastly improved effort upped to 1m6f on his seasonal reappearance when showing the right attitude to beat subsequent winner Nonou at Musselburgh in March.

Stamina gained the day on that occasion and the son of Slip Anchor, who is open to plenty of further improvement, is almost certain to relish the step up to this two mile and two furlong trip.

He's well drawn in stall five and is fancied to get the better of Land 'N Stars, who shaped well when winning over an inadequate trip on his reappearance and makes plenty of each-way appeal at a best-priced 12-1.

Johnston looks to have solid claims of notching a double with the equally progressive Quizzene, who is very much the one to beat in the Walker Smith Way Handicap over a mile and a half just over an hour later.

Lack of a decent gallop was his undoing at Beverley on his reappearance but he made no mistake, despite dropping in trip, in a competitive Sandown handicap on easy ground on his most recent start.

The return to this mile and a half trip is going to be in his favour and he's fancied to get the better of Geoff Wragg's Mont Saint Michel, who has improved with every start and looks the one for the forecast.

Barry Hills has a tremendous record at this meeting and his River Kintyre is a strong fancy in the Cheshire Regiment EBF Maiden over five furlongs. This good looking son of Mull Of Kintyre shaped well in the Brocklesby at Doncaster on his debut and, with his stable among the winners, will take plenty of beating from his favourable draw.

Hills' Don't Tell Sue won on his debut at Newmarket but has the worst of the draw in the Joseph Heler Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes over the same trip and preference is for Strike Up The Band.

David Nicholls doesn't have too many debut juvenile winners so the fact that his colt was well supported and trotted up at Pontefract means he could be very useful and he's ideally drawn in stall two.

However Hills can also be on the mark with Alumni, who created a favourable impression on her debut and is interesting in the Weatherbys Bank Cheshire Oaks over the extended mile and three furlongs.

King's Thought, who ran right up to his best when successful in a competitive Epsom handicap last time, is taken to follow up in the Breiting Watches & Waltons of Chester Handicap over a mile and a quarter.

Steve Gollings' six-year-old goes particularly well for Darryll Holland and is ideally drawn for one that invariably makes the running.

He'll be hard to peg back, especially if allowed his own way in front.

Best bet on an ordinary looking Chepstow Flat card could be Sudden Edge in the six furlong maiden. He shaped with a fair degree of promise on his debut and is open to further improvement.