Connections believe trip will suit Icon Dream Connections are confident the step up to a mile and a half will bring out the best in the David Wachman-trained Icon Dream in the MBNA Chester Vase today. Stephen Hillen, bloodstock advisor to owner Dr Marwan Koukash, said: "He's in good form and was just getting going the last day in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown. "He's by Sadler's Wells so he would maybe appreciate a bit of rain and has won in heavy ground. "I'm not saying he doesn't like good ground - he'll handle it fine - but it would inconvenience some of the others more than him if we do get rain. "The step up in trip will suit him and he's a nice young stayer." Peter Chapple-Hyam is keeping his fingers crossed Morana can prove up to the task when he takes a big step up in distance. The Alhaarth colt was a Group Three winner as a juvenile and was far from disgraced in finishing fifth behind Elusive Pimpernel on his seasonal reappearance in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket. Chapple-Hyam has always been keen to try his charge over middle distances and is given the chance to prove his worth in this recognised Derby trial. "It's always been the long-term plan to step up in trip and I ran him in the Craven just to try and take the freshness off him," said Chapple-Hyam. "If I'm being honest, I thought he might run a bit better than he did, so I was slightly disappointed. "He has improved since then but this his acid test and we'll find out if he stays, and if he's good enough. "I think the track will be fine for him and this well tell us where we are going. "If we got lucky and happened to win we'd be an outsider for the Derby, but we'd consider it." Chink Of Light has won just one of his four starts but trainer Andrew Balding believes his charge is still firmly on the upgrade. "It's obviously a big step up in class for him but having said that, he stays very well and is fit having already had three runs this year," said Balding. "He's improving all the time and has improved a bit since his last run. "We're putting a visor on him to sharpen him up and hopefully that will help him travel that bit better as well, which you need to round Chester. "He's still in the Derby but everything will depend on how he shapes up on Thursday."
