Flat racing ~ Friday 11th May

[Stevet1859]

1:35 Chester: Grissom 1pt win 12/1 William Hill If could pay to forgive Grissom his last couple of runs. The reason for doing so is his inside draw today which is often key to races at Chester. Add in the fact he is only a couple of pounds higher than his last win in a decent race at Doncaster in August and Grissom's price makes some appeal. Grisson has run here a few times and seemed to handle the course although he did not enjoy much luck in running. Tim Easterby has hit a little purple patch in the last couple of days. 3:05 Chester: Sonko 1pt win 8/1 Blue Square Picking a horse on the basis of an owner is probably not a winning strategy long term. However, Dr Marwan Koukash has aquired Sonko and he certainly has an eye for a horse and he particularly likes doing well at Chester. Sonko has an improving profile and while most of her recent runs have been on the all weather she handled the good to soft going when winning at Thirsk last August. Sonko is a front runner and if she bounces out of the stalls here, she may take some pulling back.

[Edberg]

Re: Flat racing ~ Friday 11th May 1.35 Chester KYLLACHY STAR 4pts to win @ 7/2 (Bluesq) Kyllachy Star is one of the four runners owned by Dr Marwan Koukash. All of them stand a decent chance but he looks his best one. The 6yo gelding by Kyllachy trained by Richard Fahey is in perfect form as he had a very good seasonal debut after a long break (didn't race since September) finishing 2nd in the Spring Mile at Doncaster (a 22-runnner handicap (£24k to the winner) that opened the turf season 6 weeks ago) off 90 (91 today). Kyllachy Star won this race one year ago off 94 (3lb higher than today) and from stall number 12 (nr. 4 today). He handles the ground very well (won on heavy (5L ahead of the second) and has a couple of very good performances in defeat on soft/heavy) and he loves this track because his form over this track before his last win in this race one year ago reads: 2-1-4-2-1, some disappointing efforts afterwards later in 2011 but he had been struggling to show his best form off his new higher mark (97). Fahey has saddled 8 winners in the last fortnight and even if he's had only one winner at this year's Chester Festival so far all his horses have been running pretty well (two seconds and three thirds). Pintura got beaten last year by Kyllachy Star (2nd a head behind) and faces the same rival off 2lb worse terms and his form in three races this year has been pretty poor as most of the David Simcock's horses (1 winner from 30 runners so far on turf in 2012). Light From Mars would be nicely treated off 92 and Franny Norton knows how to ride a winner over this track but the horse came here only once and finished tailed off with his jockey reporting he hated the track. Moreover after his nice success (beating Pintura) in the Spring Cup 2011 he has never finished better than 7th in his next/last 7 starts (last two this year). Fathsta is the other runner owned by the Doctor and trained by Simcock. The horse won over this track once and collected two seconds and one third (racing mainly over 7f and even 6f), he handles the ground but over a trip a bit too long for him it could be a worry, the top form he showed between 2010 and 2011 (won in impressive style the Sprint Trophy at York, 6f, soft, in October 2010 off 94) seems gone now and the yard's form has to be a main concern too. Among the others the best chance seems again for a Richard Fahey-trained horse She's A Character who's got the widest draw (stall nr. 10) but won in nice style on her seasonal reappearance two weeks ago at Doncaster (1m, soft, off 76) and will be ridden by Paul Hanagan. She went close off 80 and 82 last season so the 5lb rise (due to race off 81 today) doesn't seem too harsh. I dunno the logic behind the jockeys bookings but it's strange that Hanagan is on her and not on Kyllachy Star (the champion jockey was on him for last year's win in this race). Another gelding by Kyllachy stands a pretty solid chance in this race: Dubai Dynamo. The 7yo represents the Ruth Carr's yard that have been flying high at the moment (4 winners and 13 top5 with their last 20 runners during the last fortnight). The horse ran already 6 times in 2012 (started on the AW) and collected just a couple of thirds but also in 2011 it took him a while to catch his best form (4 races then with his first win that came on April the 30th) but after he got it he had collected 2 wins and 4 seconds in 6 races ran within two months (30 Apr-25 Jun) and his best result after that fantastic run during 2011 spring came in September when he ran here at Chester over 7f and finished 2nd beaten a head racing off 91 (87 today). So a nice race as usual but Kyllachy Star stands out on form, trainer's form, record over the track (the only C&D winner), draw and current handicap mark. I'd liked to have Hanagan on board instead of Hamilton but you can't get everything :)