Racing Chat - Thursday 9th May

[The Brigadier]

Chester 1.30

The first of five races covered by ITV on day two of Chester’s May meeting starts with a competitive 5F class 2 handicap. Local handler Hugo Palmer saddles his five year old Roman Dragon who has been running well in Bahrain this year and with the plum draw in stall one looks the one to be with especially with the eye catching jockey booking of Oisin Murphy. He loves this track having won five of his 15 starts here and may have most to fear from top weight Democracy Dilemma who is drawn alongside the pick in stall 2.

 

ROMAN DRAGON 1 point each way @ 9/2 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Huntingdon 1.50

The ITV team are showing a race from Huntingdon in this 2M 3 1/2F class 4 handicap hurdle where the ground is a drying good. Top weight King Of The Road looks likely to be involved in the finish having won his last two starts on good to soft ground. He can go well but I’ll take a chance with the Emma Lavelle trained Mistral Molly who made a promising handicap debut under twelve stone at Hereford last month when going down by 1 3/4L to Politacus with the third Spring Gale going on to win a maiden hurdle at Chepstow twelve days later. A rise of 3lb may not enough to stop the lightly raced chestnut mare from going one better today.

 

MISTRAL MILLY 1 point each way @ 15/2 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Chester 2.05

A field of ten line up for this 6F two year old maiden where there is a standout bet in the shape of the Brian Meehan trained Rashabar. He made a highly promising racecourse debut when third (beaten 2 1/4L) in the Newbury maiden won by Richard Hannon’s Hawaiian. That form has worked out superbly with the runner up Star Anthem winning easily since likewise the 4th Running Queen with the fifth Tropical Storm running a neck second at Newmarket last weekend. Red hot form and he’s easily the best of the seven that have already seen a racecourse. The problem though is that he is berthed in stall ten of 10 but he’s worth backing to overcome the draw bias as he may just be too good for these. There are three interesting newcomers also in the race, a brace from local trainer Hugo Palmer and an expensive one from David Loughnane. They are obviously worth monitoring in the market but this looks all about Meehan’s Holy Roman Emperor juvenile.

 

RASHABAR 1 point win @ 7/2 bet365

 

Chester 2.35

Nine have declared for this 7F 127 yard class 2 handicap in which we have a warm favourite in the shape of Sir Michael Stoute’s Never So Brave who could be chucked in here if his two runs as a juvenile are anything to go by and will be very hard to beat. He was runner up to Ancient Wisdom and Vandeek, beaten 1 3/4L and 3/4L respectively and as they are now rated 115 and 119 you can understand why he looks so well treated off of 94 on his handicap debut. Ryan Moore takes the ride and he’s well drawn in stall 3. He could just blow this field apart and although he’s been well found in the market is hard to oppose. Hugo Palmer’s Grey Cuban is the ride of William Buick and can chase him home.

 

NEVER SO BRAVE 2 points win @ 13/8 bet365

 

Chester 3.05

A small but select field of five line up for the 1M 2 1/2F listed Dee Stakes. Aidan O’Brien has an excellent record in the race having won five of the last six renewals and his representative here is Capulet who was last seen running at Chelmsford on the all-weather at the beginning of last month when despite being very well backed could only stay on to finish 3 1/4L third to Richard Hughes’s improver Bracken’s Laugh who re-opposes today. Bracken’s Laugh looked smart that day and he’s the pick with the extra 2f likely to suit him. The Gosden’s saddle God’s Window who’s third in the Group 1 Kameko Futurity at Doncaster last backend is the best piece of form on show. He’s had a winning re-appearance all be it at odds of 1/14 but he’s yet to run on good or faster ground. Brian Meehan’s Jayarebe has to shoulder a 3lb penalty but is another with a chance. In an open race I’m going with Bracken’s Laugh who could be quite good.

 

BRACKENS LAUGH 1 point win @ 10/3 bet365

 

Chester 3.40

The 1m 5 1/2F Group 3 Ormonde Stakes has attracted seven stayers with Aidan O’Brien’s Port Lonsdale the highest rated at the weights. He is one from one at the track which came in the Huxley Stakes at this meeting a year ago and he looks the one they all have to beat despite two defeats earlier this year in the Middle East. Arrest was a mightily impressive winner at this meeting last year in the Chester Vase but that came on very soft ground and I can’t entertain him today on ground that may be too fast for him. The blinkered first time Deauville Legend has some smart back form and if straight after 257 days could be the biggest danger to Port Lonsdale who’s the selection.

 

POINT LONSDALE 1 point win @ 9/4 bet365

[richard-westwood]

140 Chester 

Vintage clarets.  8.5 8/1 

Manila Scouse.   8.4 15/2 

Radio goo goo.  8.2 

 

5 PT Ew top 2