Tag: Chester Cup

Chester Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Chester May meeting will always be one of my favourite festivals of the flat racing season. The tight track always provides thrilling racing along with more than its fair share of hard luck stories. This was the venue for Shergar’s stunning victory which set him on course for the Epsom Derby and his place in history. We will be previewing each day’s racing in detail as the classic trials unfold but the feature race of the week is still the Chester Cup.

A maximum of seventeen runners will embark on the two and a quarter mile trip with the usual mixture of seasoned campaigners and up-and-coming stayers. Last year’s finish was dominated by Dr Marwan Koukash with his horse’s finishing first and second. Jamie Spencer was guilty of playing his hand too soon on Angel Gabrial and was cut down close home by Ryan Moore on Suegioo.

Consolation came in the Northumberland Plate for the runner-up and he has been tried in a higher grade since. He is not a particularly big horse and I can’t see him shouldering his big weight successfully this year. He is 15lbs higher in the handicap while Suegioo enjoys a 10lbs pull for three and half lengths from Newcastle. I certainly wouldn’t rule out Marco Botti’s charge after a gentle warm-up race at Ripon.

The one that catches the eye is Quick Jack, trained by Tony Martin in Ireland. He has been favourite for a string of big handicaps on the flat and over jumps over the past 18 months. His trainer has chosen very carefully and has been rewarded with a victory at Galway and two fine placed efforts at Newmarket and Cheltenham.

He was unlucky not to win the Cesarewitch when beaten only three-quarters of a length into third behind Big Easy. Richard Hughes was on board that day and hit the front with a furlong to run. Don’t expect to see him until very late on here and much will depend on whether Hughes can weave his way through the field. There is a lot of rain forecast over the next couple of days and connections will be hoping that some of it falls on the Roodeye.

Mubaraza was favourite last year but failed to quicken in the home straight and finished fourth. Ed Dunlop also runs Trip To Paris who is on a hat-trick under Graham Lee. He stepped up to two miles for the first time at Ripon and beat Gabrial’s King decisively. The runner-up did not get a clear run up the straight but would not have beaten Trip To Paris. If the going stays on the quick side, he could be worth a saver.

Quick Jack 3.10 Chester Wednesday @6-1 Stan James

Chester Wednesday Preview

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Chester’s May meeting revives happy memories of my student days and regular visits to the Roodeye. The tight turns ensure that the action is fast and furious with the draw an ever-present consideration to unravelling the form.

The meeting starts with a tricky two-year-old race with the best horses on form typically drawn widest of all. That could hand the advantage to the David Evans pair who are both handily drawn in stalls 1 and 3. Perhaps foolishly, I am going to take all four of them on with the maiden Magical Memory. The grey is trained by Charlie Hills who will be keen to emulate his father, a great supporter of this meeting.

Magical Memory was favourite at Newbury for his debut and ran well for a long way before weakening. Stall 7 is not ideal but he should be able to sit close enough to land a blow in the home straight. Hills also has a chance in the Cheshire Oaks with Brown Diamond who caught the eye at Newbury when running on into third. She was also fourth to Taghrooda in one of the best maidens of last season.

This looks a fascinating contest with Psychometry and Bright Approach both having enormous potential. I like the Stoute filly but almost all of his horses have needed a run to put them straight this season.

Mubaraza is starting to prove expensive for his followers but it’s hard to knock him after solid efforts in the Ascot Stakes and Northumberland Plate. He looked sure to win first time out but was just pegged back by Angel Gabrial. I expect him to come out on top with a 3lbs pull and a good draw. It does not look a good quality field this year so maybe this is Mubaraza’s turn.

Lucky Beggar can continue the good work for Charlie Hills in the conditions race at 4.25 after making all to win at Newbury. He beat better horses there than he meets tomorrow, providing he does not get drawn into a mad early dash by Trinityelitedotcom.

I had a good hard look at Lovelocks in the last as well but have decided to pass her over in favour of Storm Force Ten. Lovelocks got no run at all last time out and can be rated a lot better than her finishing position suggests. The hood is fitted tomorrow but Storm Force Ten has the one stall and may be hard to pass.

Magical Memory 1.45 Chester at 11-2 Bet365

Brown Diamond 2.15 Chester at 15-2 Paddy Power

Mubaraza 2.45 Chester at 5-1 Bet365

Lucky Beggar 4.25 Chester at 5-2 Coral

Storm Force Ten 5.00 Chester at 7-1 Bet365

Chester Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The 2000 Guineas victory of Sheikh Mohammed’s Dawn Approach has certainly raised some interesting questions and the colt is now 7-4 favourite for the Derby. The major concern for his supporters is whether he will stay the extra half-mile and the decision to go to Epsom has been taken more on his style of racing than his pedigree. I remember Jim Bolger saying he was going to be a Guineas horse after he won the Coventry last season but no thought had been given to his prospects of staying a mile and a half. About three weeks prior to the Guineas the decision was taken to supplement him for Epsom and that now looks to have been a wise move.

One another point worth making is that he beat a 150-1 outsider at Newmarket and it appears we may have another season with one good horse and a lot of moderate ones. Camelot was head and shoulders above his contemporaries last season but he was bred for the Derby. It will be fascinating to see what the breeding pundits come up with in the build up to the Derby but I don’t think that I will be taking 7-4. I will be happy to see what emerges from the trials in the hope of grabbing some decent each-way value against Dawn Approach.

It remains to be seen whether there is a Derby colt on show at Chester this week but the opening day revolves around the Chester Cup. I must confess to have become something of a fan of Countrywide Flame since he won the Triumph Hurdle a couple of years ago. He showed that was no fluke when he ran a fine race behind Grumeti at Aintree and I have since tipped him ante-post for the Cesarewitch (second at 10-1) and the Champion Hurdle (third at 33-1). The old expression about following them over cliffs springs to mind but I cannot help but fancy him tomorrow.

His weight looks just about perfect, he has a good draw, has won over the course and acts on any going. The only question mark is whether or not his run in the Champion Hurdle took the edge off him. He did run disappointingly at Aintree last time and he is almost certainly due a rest after his fine hurdles campaign. I cannot get too excited about the 7-2 on offer but there may be some 4’s or better on the day.

Ile De Roi and Simenon appear to have too much weight whereas Tominator was disappointing over hurdles. He is closely matched with Countrywide Flame on their meeting in the Cesarewitch and would be an appropriate winner in the week that saw the passing of his legendary former trainer Reg Hollinshead. However, he was beaten a distance in this race 12 months ago and is not guaranteed to reproduce his Newmarket form. One horse that is capable of showing improved form is Theology, now in the care of Steve Gollings.

Theology was useful on the flat for Jeremy Noseda but his form tailed off and he was eventually sent to Gollings to go hurdling. He didn’t take to the jumping game and was not knocked about at Kempton on his return to the flat. He may have been laid out for this race and could run a big race at a decent price.

Countrywide Flame 7-2 Ladbrokes
Theology (each-way) 18-1 Paddy Power