Today’s Chepstow card was abandoned yesterday due to the weekend rains but there are still six cards in Britain and Ireland to look forward to.
The ground was still described as good to firm at Ayr on Monday morning ahead of this evening’s card where there is a fascinating 6f Maiden Fillies’ Stakes. Charlie Hills has his string in good form and his Give ‘Em The Slip (6.00) drops back in trip having been caught close home on polytrack over an additional furlong at Lingfield back in February. The selection -5/4 with MansionBet from 7/4 – looks sure to appreciate today’s conditions and six winners have come out of the race when she finished runner up at Newmarket on debut back in June.
Chookie Duneden is in excellent form but he is on a career high mark and the vote in the 7f handicap goes to the market leader Hong Kong Harry (7.35) who pulled hard when scoring narrowly over C&D from a 2lbs lower mark a fortnight ago. That was only a four-runner event, but the selection – 6/4 from 7/4 with BetVictor – did well to get the better of Be Proud who reopposes this evening. The hope is that there is more pace this evening which will allow the selection to settle better with that run – his first for over four months – under his belt. Paul Hanagan is 3-3 on Richard Fahey’s four-year-old whose only defeat came on fibresand.
The form of Dream With Me’s (8.05) recent C&D success was given a boost when the second home Howzer Black went one better at Hamilton earlier in the month with the pair clear. The selection – 11/8 with William Hill – gets further than today’s 10f trip, but Joe Fanning, who takes over from Ben Curtis who is at Wetherby, looks sure to ensure a decent gallop. Indeed, I hope to see him make all from just a 4lbs higher mark. Daafr is likely to take the selection on for the lead, which is a slight concern, but the latter should be crying enough inside the final quarter.
Ayr Poet is a bigger danger and is another who I feel could still be ahead of the handicapper, but he has been raised 6lbs for scoring at Musselburgh last time. Of the bigger prices Red Missile looks likely to appreciate the drop back in trip and he is one to keep onside going forward.
Soul Seeker will be all the rage at Beverley in their 5f sprint handicap, but I thought Van Gerwen (2.45) looked to be coming to the boil when finishing second here at the last meeting and today’s softer ground will suit the 8-y-o who has run some of his best races over today’s C&D. He gets the each way vote at 8s with 10Bet.
In the 10f handicap the hope is that the step up in trip on handicap debut will bring the best out of Wor Willie (3.45) who has finished third in all three starts so far for Michael Dods over 7f and a mile. The selection – 10/3 with Boylesports – finished over 2L behind Villeurbanne at Redcar over a mile last time but receives 6lbs from that rival this afternoon and can reverse the form over today’s additional quarter of a mile.
