HORSE RACING
The walled city of Chester began life as Roman fort in the reign of Emperor Vespasian 79AD, writes Julie Williams.
The battles which now take place are less bloodied but nonetheless bruising. It is a clash of thoroughbred horses and it kicks off again today ( Wednesday) with three days of top class racing for Chester’s May festival. With its near circular track every race is done on the turn and just like a gunfight in a spaghetti western, the draw is everything. The track bias is legendary and with a short run in on the straight you want your selection to be berthed close to the inside rail, with enough early dash to bag the golden highway. Favourite backers should note that the quickest route to profit is backing three- yearolds in non handicaps where they have a 48 per cent strike rate. The quickest route to pecuniary ( or skint, to you and I) is backing those same threeyearolds in handicaps where the win ratio shrinks to 24 per cent. Our selections for the week come, at time of writing, without the benefit of knowing the draw, the prices or final runners, so, like an antelope at a Lion’s dinner party, we proceed with caution.
Wednesday:
2.25pm Cheshire Oaks, Listed race for three- year- old Fillies. Between them, A P O’Brien and John Gosden have won seven of the last 10 renewals. PRINCESS YAIZA has done nothing but improve in her native Ireland. She has learned her craft on the all weather track of Dundalk. It is, however, her respectable third to MARY TUDOR at Navan in April on softish ground that entitles the filly to respect. Anything around 5/ 1 for PRINCESS YAIZA would do. She should handle the step up in trip. With luck she can handle the Gosden and O’Brien battalions, too.
Thursday:
2.25pm Dee Stakes 1m 2furlong Listed race for three- year- old colts and geldings. Stalls numbers three and four have berthed six of the last 10 winners of this race and in that time half those winners went off favourite. DEE EX BEE has won before on sharp left handed tracks and is worth a second glance though there are some lightly raced runners here who could improve past him. RASTRELLI for the in- form Charlie Appleby yard could be one of those. With three wins from just six starts, the gelding holds every chance of following up the impressive win last time out at Newbury. RASTRELLI at 4/ 1 or thereabouts would be just the ticket. KENYA, despite top weight, should make a race of it.
Friday:
3.35pm Chester Cup handicap 2m 2 fulrongs. The seven- year- old bay gelding NAKEETA out of Iain Jardine’s stable will be on everyone’s shortlist. Last year’s win in the Ebor and an outstanding fifth to REKINDLING in the Melbourne Cup will ensure this remarkable talent does not go unsupported. Burdened with top weight it is sobering to remember that when he ran a fine second in this race last year to NO HERETIC he did so carrying 11 pounds less. While not setting fire to the heather over hurdles at both Cheltenham and the Aintree festival, WHO DARES WINS has strong claims back on the flat. CAYIRLI for Seamus Durack sprung a 50/ 1 suprise on the all weather track at Kempton last time out. Having spent the best part of a year racing of an insurmountable mark of 104 when the handicapper finally relented the horse was fit to pounce under an enterprising ride by Shane Kelly. Off a mark of 97 CAYIRLI is our each way play at 16/ 1 and above.