It’s the final day of Chester’s May meeting and the Tote is again offering a guaranteed Placepot fund of £100,000.
1.30
The draw has been the best guide to finding the winner of this 7.5f handicap, with nine of the last ten berthed in stall 5 or lower. Backing all 50 qualifiers would have returned a profit of £19.50 to a £1 level stake at SP. The exception came in last year’s renewal when the well backed Percy’s Lad broke smartly from stall 13 of 13 and made all. Supporting all runners drawn in stall 6 or higher would have found just one winner from 60 bets for a loss of £56.00. TWO TEMPTING (stall 1), usually ridden prominently, was unsuited by the switch to patient tactics when fourth of 14 in the Spring Cup at Newbury last time. Jonny Portman’s six-year-old scored over course and distance last summer off a 1lb higher mark – his sole previous visit to the Roodee – and a prominent ride could see him secure a Placepot position. YANIFER (stall 5) enjoys sharp left-handed tracks and his combined record at Bath, Catterick and Chester reads 11821315 (4-8) for a profit of £14.63. He’s been off the track since September but finished a close-up third here on his reappearance last term and should go well. Front-runner GORAK (stall 7) should be first to the inside rail and has placed on his last two course outings.
3 Gorak
4 Two Tempting
7 Yanifer
2.05
Five of the six runners have previous racecourse experience, but none has yet to match the class par time for this grade, suggesting that Charlie Johnston’s newcomer POLE STAR, who has the best of the draw in stall 1, could be worth chancing at a likely big price. AMMES bumped into a progressive Gosden runner when second of 14 at Kempton last time and is next best ahead of pace angle WISE COUNSELLOR.
2 Ammes
3 Pole Star
5 Wise Counsellor
2.35
BOLSTER has been off the track since November but seasonal debut form figures of 111 (3-3) suggest that he’ll be ready to go and he could get loose on the lead. He’d prefer softer going but Karl Burke will pull him out if it’s too fast for him, as he did at this meeting 12 months ago. Jack Channon has a good record with horse aged four or older and those returning from a break of 150 days or more are nine from 38 for a profit of £60.58. CERTAIN LAD, who will appreciate the small field, fits the bill. THE FOXES completes the shortlist.
1 Bolster
3 Certain Lad
7 The Foxes
3.05
DIVINE COMEDY has run with credit in Listed/Group 3 company so far this term and will appreciate the return to handicapping. Her record in handicaps in the month of May reads 1111 (4-4) and she has a reasonable draw in stall 7. ZOFFEE finished second by a neck in this race on his reappearance in 2023 and went one better on his comeback last term. He looks to have been laid out for this again and is nicely drawn in stall 4.
3 Divine Comedy
8 Zoffee
3.40
Last year, the first three home in this 1m2f handicap were drawn 1-2-3 (9-4, 7-2 and 28-1) and at least one of three lowest drawn runners has achieved a Placepot position in the past ten renewals. The market has also been a good guide with those drawn 1, 2 or 3 who started in the first two in the betting recording form figures of 13116311221 (6-11) for a profit of £12.40. QITAAL (stall 2) hasn’t built on the promise of his reappearance third of 16 at Doncaster in two subsequent starts but bolted up by eight lengths over course and distance last September and the return to the Roodee could spark a revival. With the perm already up to 54 bets we need a banker and, though a risky one, he’s the best option.
10 Qitaal
4.10
This 1m4f apprentice handicap has been another good ‘draw race’, with the first three home in the past three years drawn 3-4-1, 4-1-3 and 1-3-4. SPORTINGSILVERMINE, two from two since joining James Owen, is nicely drawn in stall 4 and should be suited by this track. Banker.
1 Sportingsilvermine
