CHEPSTOW 5.10 Handicap - Class 6 - 1 mile 2 furlongs - 14 run - Good to Soft

 

A competitive field of 14 and after some very heavy rain earlier in the week a few warm and dry days should ensure that Good to Soft but improving ground is an accurate description.

 

At the top end of the market Blue Hero is very much a Bath specialist and Bobacious, whilst a solid win chance option is not one who looks an obvious one to run up a sequence. Sonnet Star has some decent past Course form and Precision Storm may just need better ground than this, Gert Lush as an each way chance but has regularly failed to capitalise when similarly looking well handicapped. A bigger danger may be Rebel Angel, dropped in trip for David Pipe and one who could stay on with a purpose if they go off too fast, although on the drying ground I do think this one may be out-paced early on. 

 

My clear top 2 rated though are CARP KID a Course and Distance winner of the corresponding race last season off a mark of 65, drops back into Class 6 here looking for a repeat off a very nice mark of 63. WONDER STARELZAAM has won too to Class 5 off marks of 65 and 69 and jumps off the page therefore back down to Class 6 off a mark of 67 with signs of improved fitness last time out.

 

At bigger odds, one for the notebook and a small stake if you wish is Bug Boy @ 20/1 who has won over Course and Distance and in Class 4 races and may find this company more beneficial these days.

 

(TA)

 

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Worcester 8.55 - Handicap Hurdle - Class 5 - 2 miles 7 furlongs - 14 run - Good

 

Plenty in with chances here and not easy to rule out the likes of Blow Your Horn from the in-form Ian Williams yard, Iron Heart from the always dangerous Bowen operation, and Indian Sunbird a 20/1 CD winner last time here with a 5lbs penalty. The most intriguing one is Bridge Road, which has been all over the place trip wise from 2 miles to 3miles but from a canny yard.

 

I am going to add COIN BASKET @ 25/1 to the TRACKER, this one is upped in trip but has a very interesting P2P background and collateral Irish form that suggests it can be winning races at up to 3 miles quite soon. 

 

I have a clear 3 top rated though, so will list them in preference order, we'll go with the top 2 with the 3rd rated as a reserve in case we are blighted by non-runners again although this Going today is only going to firm up to decent Good ground.

 

NO WAY PEDRO won over Course and Distance last time at 14/1, it is upped 8lbs but with 3 x Course wins at increasing distances and still only a few pounds above its best winning mark, I really fancy a repeat performance. HUGUENEAM would not be the best Skelton horse by a million miles but ran well here recently upped in trip and is another with some nice P2P form that suggests this should now be considered the optimum trip.

 

It is hard to leave out KISS MY FACE @ 11/1, clear 3rd best rated and a recent recruit for Alastair Ralph. The form of the horse with Brian Ellison suggests wins won't be too long coming for this one. (DT)

 

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