Hi all,
A good start to the Chester Festival for the service with wins for the progressive Leodis Dream 9/2 & the well handicapped Gossiping 8/1 in the lucky last. We are playing with the bookie’s money on Thursday but I’m just looking at the three races.
Chester May Festival – Day 2
1:50 – Just 11 are now set to go to post for this 5f Class 2 handicap for 4-year-old+ horses.
Just ¾ length separated Copper Knight & Camacho Chief when they were first & second in a big field handicap at York last Autumn. The former is 2lb better off at the weights today and has had the benefit of a recent run at Musselburgh 19-days ago. He also races out of stall 1. Has twice won at this meeting in the past in 2016 & 2017. Strong favourites chance!
Camacho Chief, in stall 6, was an improving sprinter last season but he’s making his seasonal reappearance here. No record fresh but could be an improver this season as 4-year-old. He also acts on the likely going – 2 wins from 4 runs 3 placed on soft.
Verdict: Camacho Chief and Copper Knight both have strongest claims here.
Camacho Chief – 9/1 @ William Hill & Bet365
Copper Knight – 11/4 @ Bet365 & William Hill
2:25 – A field of 12 are set to go to post for this 7f Class 2 handicap for 3-year-old only.
Tom Dascombe saddles four runners in Drogon, Jim Crowley an interesting jockey booking), Metatron, with Richard Kingscote doing the steering, Barristan The Bold and Lola’s Theme. The latter is 2 wins from 4 runs since switching to grass and battled on well to win a York nursery back in October, both those wins came on soft ground and although she disappointed on her final start at Newmarket. Returns to action here coming out of stall 2 and with the soft ground in her favour she can go well and maybe the pick of the Dascombe horses, if she fully wound up first time up.
Richard Fahey saddles King Of Tonga & Pacino. The former should his well being when finishing runner-up at Beverley 14-days ago. Up 6lb for that effort demands more but the gelding was placed here last season and needs respecting even out of Stall 8.
Andrew Balding who has such an excellent record with his handicappers at the meeting also saddles two in Spirit Warning (Stall 10) & Forseti (Stall 6). Given the draw the most likely of his pair looks to be Forseti. The 3-year-old returned to action from a 148-day break and a gelding operation to win on the All-Weather at Lingfield. Another 110-day break now but at least we know he goes well fresh. Won on good to firm last summer, so soft ground is an unknown.
Sparklealot, is an interesting contender even from stall 9. He won two of his six starts as a juvenile both coming on soft ground. Returned to action when 5th of 14 at Newbury, again on soft ground. Should be all the better for that run can’t rule out for a trainer in Ivan Furtado who has done well at Chester with a limited number of runners 3 winners from 11 runners 275 +25 in the past five years.
Verdict: Lola’s Theme will be suited by the soft ground and has a chance out of stall 2. Another who will appreciate the ease in the ground is Sparklealot who should be all the better for his Newbury reappearance.
Sparklealot – 11/1 @ William Hill & Bet365 – each way
Lola’s Theme – 8/1 @ William Hill & Bet365 – each way
5:05 – A tricky handicap to conclude today’s card.
Crownthorpe won nicely at Beverley three days ago. Has a 5lb penalty to carry for that win. In form and if the quick turnaround isn’t a negative, he must be high on the shortlist. However, he’s plenty short in enough in the betting for me.
Bobby K is 3 wins from 8 runs but all three of those wins have come on the all-weather. Ran well on his seasonal reappearance at Newcastle 10-day ago. Gets the first-time blinkers today and faces soft ground for the first time.
Like Bobby K, Kasbaan is lightly raced for his age, just the four career starts, sole win came on the all-weather at Lingfield back in September. Wasn’t beaten far into 4th on his racecourse debut as a juvenile on soft ground. So, there are hopes regarding underfoot conditions for the gelding.
Ayutthaya, hasn’t show much on his two starts this season. But the return to soft ground could spark the 4-year-old back into life. A winner on heavy ground here as a 2-year-old over 7f. He also made all to win on good to soft at Thirsk in April 2018. Was just touched off at Hamilton off today’s mark back in August. Comes with big risks attached but stall 6 isn’t bad and he would be overpriced on the best of his form.
Verdict: In race containing plenty of exposed handicappers. Bobby K is unexposed on the turf and if he handles the rain softened ground needs respecting, even if stall 8 could be better. It could be worth chancing that a return to softish ground could see a return to form by the Kevin Ryan trained Ayutthaya out of stall six.
Bobby K – 7/1 @ Coral & William Hill
Ayutthaya – 20/1 @ William Hill – each way (paying 4 places 1/5 odds)
Always check with an odds comparison service like Oddschecker to get the best prices available
All selections win only unless indicated as each way.
Cheers
John
What time do your selections appear on this website?
Hi Howard,
I’m endeavoring to get the blog post up by 9pm on the evening before racing. If it’s not up by 8am on the morning of the days racing it’s fair to assume that there won’t be any selections that day. Yesterday, was a bit unusual as it was up much earlier than 9pm. As you might be aware I have just returned to action having had my right kidney removed so depending how I have been feeling that day can impact on when the post is published on the site.
The email then follows quickly on from that but it depends on your email provider as to how quick it reaches the individual subscriber.
I hope that answers your question.
John
Thanks for your prompt reply!