Chester selections Wednesday 10th May
The opening day of the big meeting at Chester for the season and I am looking at two of the handicaps later in the day for some interest. We had a second successive 1-2 on Sunday when HMS President landed the staying handicap (7/1) with Torcello second for the each-way bet (SP 14/1).
Chester 3.45 Tasever
There are some potentially quite classy types lining up for this handicap, but receiving weight all round, TASEVER can cause something of an upset.
Drawn well in stall 4, he can take advantage of what is likely to be quite a burn up early on with several proven pacesetters in the field. The 3yo spent all of last season running over this 6f trip. Whilst he did not win, he was always thereabouts, notably when third on the final turf meeting of the year at Doncaster on testing ground.
He began this campaign with a run full of promise at Beverley over the minimum trip. Staying on strongly, he was never going to peg back the runaway winner, but he showed more than enough to suggest he is well handicapped off 70 and will surely appreciate a return to 6f. Any pace collapse can bring this gelding into calculations and any more rain will suit him ideally too.
Chester 4.55: Paws for Thought
A quick study of the profile of PAWS FOR THOUGHT shows he usually runs his best race first time out and that the sharp turns of Chester suit him well. Donald McCain’s charge has both elements in his favour this afternoon and I can therefore understand the support for him.
His first time out record reads 312, the last two of which have come at this very meeting. He won the 3yo 6f handicap in 2021 when trained by Tom Dascombe, racing up at the front throughout before seeing out the race strongly. Last year he was just nodded by Ffion in this same race over 7f having made most of the running.
Front-running tactics are likely to be employed again by experienced pilot Paul Mulrennan and this horse has built up a strong record at the track reading 11442349. First time cheekpieces saw something of a return to form when he was second at Catterick on his final run of 2022 and are employed again today which might help him steal a march on the opposition.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Tasever – 3.45 Chester – 11/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt win – Paws for Thought – 4.55 Chester – 7/2 general