DUBBED the "coolest" jockey in the Weighing Room, Richard Hughes will today attempt to steer Rainbow High (2.55) to an historic third victory in the £100,000 Chester Cup.

Richard is the ideal foil for Rainbow High, a top-class yet quirky stayer who has been known to down tools in the heat of battle. Indeed, from a jockey's point of view there's not much use getting whip happy with the seven-year-old.

Instead the ultra-patient Hughes tends to bide his time quietly, kidding Rainbow High along until the final couple of furlongs, and only then does he get serious with his mount.

Each-way backers in the two-and-a-quarter-mile event should consider having a nibble on Mark Johnston's Darasim.

Last week Mark seemed to think that Royal Rebel, the reigning Ascot Gold Cup holder, would be his number one hope. But I would beg to differ because I'm not convinced Royal Rebel will enjoy railing around the sharply turning Chester track. The nippy Darasim on the other hand relishes tight bends, responding particularly well for the urgings of his regular pilot, Joe Fanning.

Lynda Ramsden likes to have a winner at the three-day Festival and the progressive Lingo will certainly attract plenty of support following a runaway win at Pontefract last week. Lingo looked superb in the paddock that day and a 6lb penalty will surely not be sufficient to halt his march towards yet more prize money in the extended mile-and-a-half £15,000 Bank Of Scotland Handicap.

Amongst a bunch of unexposed and lightly-raced fillies for the Victor Chandler Cheshire Oaks, Sunray Superstar (3.25) could be the one to be on.

An average yearling price of 229,000 guineas Sir Michael Stoute gives readers an idea of the sort of firepower the Newmarket handler has at his disposal these days.

And it's therefore pretty safe to assume that Sunray Superstar is one of Stoute's leading lights in the female three-year-old division, a point underlined by the promise she showed on her debut when touched off on the line in a maiden at Leicester last term.

More locally there's a decent evening jumping meeting at Wetherby where Domappel (6.35) can show his rivals the way home in the Gordon Cranswick Solicitors Novices' Handicap Chase.

Domappel, a fair flat and hurdles performer in his time, has yet to win over the bigger obstacles.

However he's very much a versatile sort, who shaped as if his turn was near with a cracking effort to finish runner-up to Jet Files at Cheltenham last time out.

Tim Easterby's decent record at the track could be further improved should Stone Cold (7.35) take the two mile Wedding Venue Handicap Chase.

At first glance Stone Cold is a bit young at just five-years of age to be tackling the bigger obstacles. But that hasn't been the case at all, in fact he jumped a whole lot more proficiently than some of his older rivals when winning over fences at Market Rasen last time out.

Favourite backers should be happy if as expected Backcraft (8.35) scoops the closing two mile Banqueting Handicap Hurdle.

The four-year-old has never looked back since leaving Dermot Weld in Ireland and joining Lenny Lungo's powerful team.