Steve Hughes looks ahead to the best of day two of Chester’s May meeting
There were some quality performances on the opening day at Chester on Wednesday, and more of the same can be expected today. I have selections for two of the earlier races on Thursday’s card. She Can Boogie was placed for the each-way bet yesterday (9/1).
Chester 1.50: Copper Knight
A winner in both 2016 and 2017 at this fixture, Copper Knight is still improving as a 5yo sprinter and can score again at one of his favourite tracks.
Formerly a trailblazer, he is more tactically versatile these days and continues on the upgrade. He landed the valuable Gosforth Park Cup on the sand at Newcastle last summer. However he came good again in the autumn with wins at York and Nottingham, proving he can handle cut in the ground too.
He looked a little rusty on his comeback at Musselburgh last month, but finished his race off well to take fourth and showed enough to think he can defy a new rating of 100. He also has the inside draw to aid his case this afternoon.
Chester 3.00: Lola’s Theme & King of Tonga
This handicap promises to be spectacular with an abundance of front-runners in the line up. Two horses who I expect to be held up off a ferocious gallop are therefore fancied.
Jane Elliott is being entrusted with plenty of rides this week for her boss Tom Dascombe and the mudlark Lola’s Theme should go well. She caused a 100/1 surprise when switched to soft ground turf at Haydock in September. However her subsequent form showed that to be no fluke. She won again on soft at York before being outclassed in a listed contest at Newmarket. However her current rating of 80 remains workable and the recent rains at Chester will be a big help.
The consistent King of Tonga is also worth a wager. Never out of the first three in five runs, he made a decent reappearance when just touched off at Beverley recently. He will be sharper for the run today and already has experience of this track when third here last autumn. He also had too good runs in novice races with cut in the ground, winning at Redcar, so conditions will be no problem for him.
Recommended bets:
1pt win – Copper Knight – 1.50 Chester – 5/2 general
1pt each-way – Lola’s Theme – 3.00 Chester – 8/1 general
1pt win – King of Tonga – 3.00 Chester – 5/1 general
