Racing Chat - Wednesday May 4th

[The Brigadier]

Chester 1.30

Seven speedy two year olds go to the start for this year’s renewal of the 5F Lily Agnes conditions stakes. Two unbeaten fillies head the market - the Gay Kelleway trained Ocean Cloud who’s looked very fast in making all in two 5F contests on the all weather at Kempton and the David O’Meara trained Star Of Lady M who’s won both her starts on soft ground this Spring. David Loughnane saddles his Southwell winner Absolutelyflawless who runs in the colours of David Lowe and is another possible but this maybe fought out by the two fillies with slight preference for Ocean Cloud who hopefully can ping the gates and across to the rail from stall 4 and lead them all a merry dance under Luke Morris.

 

OCEAN CLOUD 2 points win @ 7/2 William Hill

 

Chester 2.05

A seven runner 5F handicap for three year olds is up next and features the best bet on the card in the Adam West trained Live In The Dream. West may not be a household name but is a very capable trainer based at Epsom who has his string in fine form winning with 4 of his last 16 runners under both codes. He proved he was a sprinter going places when making all and keeping in well to win a similar grade of handicap at Sandown by just under 4L which takes some doing in a sprint handicap on a grade one track. The handicapper has reacted by putting him up 8lb but that could of been worse and from a plum draw in two with only the seasonal debutant Nymphadora on his inside and Ryan Moore taking over from 5lb claiming apprentice Sean Kirrane looks a good bet to make all. Shamlaan is chasing a hat trick following victories at Wolverhampton and a hard fought success at Goodwood last weekend. He’s penalised 6lb for that win. Novello has course form of 12 and with Buick booked may be the biggest threat to Live In The Dream.

 

LIVE IN THE DREAM 3 points win @ 7/4 Bet365

 

Chester 2.40

Ten three year old fillies assemble for the listed 1m 3F 75yds Cheshire Oaks, a race which the great Enable took apart before winning the Epsom Oaks five years ago. It’s highly unlikely that we have a filly of her calibre in this year’s field but there are as you would expect some promising fillies taking part. At the head of them is the Joseph O’Brien trained Above The Curve who has plenty of fancy future group entries. She was highly impressive when winning a Leopardstown maiden last month on her re-appearance. O’Brien was gushing with compliments about her afterwards and she looks sure to be thereabouts today. Joseph’s father Aidan saddles Thoughts Of June but she was just under 3L behind Above The Curve and needs to step up here. Behind her in the betting are two fillies trained by Newmarket handlers William Haggas and Simon & Ed Crisford in Hello Jumeirah and Night Battle who have both won maiden/novice events on the all weather on their sole starts. Both have abundant promise but will need to step up on form. With Above The Curve’s Leopardstown form working out so well with the 3rd and 5th winning since she looks the most likely winner and is the bet here.

 

ABOVE THE CURVE 2 points win @ 15/8 William Hill

 

Chester 3.10

A valid Epsom Derby trial is the Boodles Chester Vase, a group 3 contest run over 1m 4F 63yds which has gone to Aiden O’Brien on six of the last eight runnings so his representative Changingoftheguard has to of interest here. Beaten in all three starts as a juvenile he broke his duck at Dundalk in April in decent style at odds on. He’ll need to step up to continue O’Brien’s fine run in this race as we have a very warm favourite in the Charlie Appleby trained New London who was very well supported for the Derby on Monday and is now a general 5/1 shot for that race. He stepped up from his two year old maiden win at Newmarket to win at the Newmarket Craven meeting under a 7lb penalty by 2 1/4L from the equally promising Kempton winner Aldous Huxley in a 10F novices stakes and with the Appleby yard seemingly holding all the aces with the three year old colts can take this and enhance his Epsom chance.

 

Chester 3.40

A nine runner 6F three year old handicap completes the Chester ITV programme and as with all Chester races over sprint distances the draw is very significant. Stall 1 houses the Marco Botti runner Golden Warrior who’s been plying his trade on the all weather recently but was tailed off last time. In stall 2 is the likeable Ever Given trained by Hugo Palmer who will be ultra keen to saddle a winner or two at this meeting so close to the new yard that he’s taken over from recently. He’s not been seen since last October but for the aforementioned reason will surely be fit to go here. He already has a win at the track on his CV having won over 7F here last July and he kept good company there after. He’s the one I want to be with here. Richard Fahey’s Buckshaw Village was an eye catcher at Ripon last time when he was short of room close home over 5F and this step up to 6F will suit him from stall 4. He looks the biggest threat to my selection Ever Given.

 

EVER GIVEN 2 points win @ 7/2 William Hill

 

[Villa Chris]

I fancy Above The Curve and 7/4 looks decent 

 

 

2.05 Chester 

Novello 9.16 (11/2)

Hellomydarlin 8.86 (17/2)

Vintage Clarets 8.46 (6/1)

5 points win Novello 

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Villa Chris