KIEREN FALLON'S booking for seven-furlong specialist Boston Lodge in the £20,000 Showcase Handicap on the first of three days of fantastic action at Chester should not be ignored.

Fallon, successful in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday and fresh from a sparkling treble at Kempton yesterday, is currently riding like a man possessed.

And he is also well-acquainted with Boston Lodge (2.25) having been touched off on Paul Cole's colt at Ripon earlier on this season.

Since that time Boston Lodge has again been narrowly beaten in another nip-and-tuck finish, a race that is working out superbly form-wise.

Cole's three-year-old deserves a change of luck and in view of his assured consistency, plus Kieren's urgings from the saddle, Boston Lodge has every chance of getting his head in front for the first time in 2003.

The most valuable race on the card, the £65,000 Victor Chandler Chester Vase, has attracted a pathetically small field of just four runners.

Such uncompetitive events do little for the image of horse racing, especially as they are often run at nonsensical slow early gallops.

If as anticipated there is a lack of initial pace, it certainly will not inconvenience my selection, Risk Taker (2.55).

The field crawled early doors when Risk Taker won by an astonishing 18 lengths at Newmarket last time and regulars at the course will be fully aware of the incredible record boasted by trainer Barry Hills at Chester over the past five years.

The following £35,000 mile-and-a-quarter Listed contest is a far more tight-knit affair matching the likes of the unbeaten Parasol, trained by David Loder, taking on fellow big guns from Newmarket, Sir Michael Stoute's Gallant Hero, and Henry Cecil's Burning Sun.

But the southern boys may not have it all there own way because Malton handler Richard Fahey also throw his hat into the ring with stable-star Vintage Premium (3.30).

Vintage Premium made an encouraging reappearance in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown and seems sure to have come on a ton for the outing.

Hold-up horses are normally at a distinct disadvantage at Chester where it normally pays to be handy.

The theory does not always hold good and Miss Opulence (4.05), a last to first to scorer at Haydock recently, will be out to show it is possible to come from behind in the Walter Smith Handicap.

Brian Ellison's filly is a smashing individual, bulging with muscle and full of physical scope. In addition she's got a very smart turn of foot and goes well for the useful apprentice Tom Eaves, taking 5lbs of her back.

Best bet at Bath is Ela d'Argent (4.55), strongly fancied to take the Ladies' Day Handicap over twelve furlongs.

Ela d'Argent came up against a decent sort when chasing home Clarisse over track and trip last time out. With nothing of that calibre today's line-up, Martin Pipe'raider has every prospect of going one better.

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