Chester selections Wednesday 5th May
After the loss of the Chester May meeting last year, it is a welcome return to the Roodee and their big three day fixture of the season. The traditional highlight the Chester Cup is a Friday feature nowadays, and I have my eye on two handicaps on the card this afternoon.
As always at Chester a low draw is a strong advantage around this tight track, but plenty of rain since declaration team will also be of benefit to PIVOTING (3.45). He was a good winner of a novice contest at Pontefract on soft ground at the back end of 2020, trotting home by 5l after making all. That came a month after a very narrow defeat at Beverley in a maiden the previous month over 5f.
He has twice disappointed on fast ground, including on his comeback at Pontefract last month, but it does look as if the going is very important for this gelding and at least that recent runout will have sharpened him up for today. Stall 3 is clearly a good spot for him and the softer ground will help him far more than several of his rivals.
Although only seventh last time out NATIONAL LEAGUE (4.45) arguably produced a career best in the Newbury Spring Cup, by far the most competitive race he has taken part in to date. Beaten less than 5l by Nugget (an unlucky loser since in the Thirsk Hunt Cup), that run was as good an effort as any of today’s competitors have managed of late.
The eighth furlong that day might just have stretched him, but he is back to 7f today, the distance he had been placed at in his two previous starts in 2021. One slightly worry is that he has not won since September 2019, (six times placed since) but he is big enough a price to go with the each-way insurance. He handles cut in the ground perfectly well and seems versatile regarding tactics.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Pivoting – 3.45 Chester – 11/2 general
1pt each-way – National League – 4.45 Chester – 11/2 Bet365
