Chepstow Selection

Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I look at the best of Friday’s action at Newmarket & Chepstow.

A Friday of racing that wouldn’t be out of place on a Saturday. ITV Racing are giving it the full treatment too. Covering five races live from Newmarket, two from York and for jump fans two from Persian War Day at Chepstow.

Newmarket

At Newmarket’s the first day of its Future Champions Festival. The feature race of a card is the The Group 1 bet365 Fillies' Mile (4.10).

At the beginning of the week, it was good to firm at Newmarket. However, the course has had plenty of rain in the last few days which had turned the going to good to soft on Thursday evening.

I tipped up Sea The Fire at 14/1 for the Fillies Mile in this column last month. She’s half those odds now and whilst I still fancy here for the race, I probably wouldn’t put her up at 11/2. Not with the likes of Shuwari, Ylang Ylang and Caught You Looking in opposition to her. The latter won’t be fazed if the track eases further and although she might find herself ultimately outclassed shouldn’t be totally dismissed.

The improving Chic Colombine is going the right way and looks well worth her place in the line-up for the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes (2:25). The recent rain also won’t inconvenience, and she could well gain the five timer. We haven’t seen the once raced Dance Sequence since she won on racecourse debut on the July Course 104 days ago. The daughter of Dubawi is open to any amount of improvement and must be considered.

Shouldvebeenaring has finished in the places in Group 1’s on his last two starts, He should go close the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (3:00) if in the same form. The rain that has fallen will suit Matilda Picotte who made all to win a Group 3 at Doncaster last month. The filly will face pace pressure for the lead and is back against the boys today, but she isn’t out of this on official ratings.

Chepstow

The real start of the 2023-24 jumps season is almost upon us. Its Persian War Day at Chepstow today which for many fans marks the start of the real jumps season. It’s good to soft at Chepstow on Thursday evening but they were expecting 30mm on Thursday and Friday morning so if the rain has arrived it’s going to be much more testing.

1:35 – Aye Right is a top staying handicap chaser at this best and although he hasn’t won since November 2021, he’s 6lb lower than when finishing a 4 ½ length 2^nd of 10 to Sounds Russian on his seasonal return at Kelso last October. Returns for the first time since February but has won off a lay off in the past and must be respected on his first start in veterans’ company.

2:10 – Della Casa Lunga a useful novice hurdler when trained in Ireland last season, has since switched hands for £150,000 and has her first start for a new trainer here. She’s got arguably the best hurdle form of the 8 runners and has place claims, but she might struggle to beat hurdle newcomer Captain Teague. The Paul Nicholls trained 5-year-old won a Plumpton bumper on stable debut in February and was an excellent 2 ½ length 3^rd of 21 in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. Interesting that connections throw him into the deep end for his hurdles debut and he could turn out to be a high class recruit to novice hurdling. Paul Nicholls has won this three time since 2016 and Captain Teague seems likely to give him another success.

Friday Selection:

I’m over jumps for today’s selection and I’m hoping that smart handicap chaser Aye Right can make his first start in a veterans company a winning one.  I was hoping he might be around 9/2 but if you can get 7/2 or bigger, he’s worth a bet.

Chepstow

1:35 – Aye Right – 7/2.

Good luck with your Friday bets.

John