THE action at Chelmsford Racecourse continues this week with a seven-race card on the all-weather surface on Thursday for punters to enjoy.
Racing gets underway at 5.35 with a ten-runner apprentice handicap in class six before rounding off at 8.40 as nine runners tackle the one mile and two furlong handicap.
Read below to discover the latest tips and race meeting preview for Chelmsford’s card on Wednesday, courtesy of OLBG.
Up first is a class six apprentice handicap over the short five furlong trip (5.35) and ten runners are set to take it on. There is no real standout in the opener but if there is one to side with then it is perhaps the Dylan Cunha-trained Battleofbaltimore, a recent winner at Yarmouth so has the form behind him. Of his rivals, Lewis Barnes can put behind him a poor run last time out when fourth of six at Brighton having shown some decent progress before that.
A decent field of 12 will tackle race two on Chelmsford’s card on Thursday (6.10) which is a class five novice stakes for the up and coming two-year-old’s. Force And Valour was eye-catching on debut at Windsor and improvement is expected here off the back of a third on his first run. Top trainer Roger Varian holds a strong hand here too with Fire Flame, who was fifth on debut 19 days ago but is in a much weaker contest for his second start on the track but Force And Valour is marginally preferred.
Nine runners will enter the stalls for the third contest on the card – a three-year-old handicap in class five over six furlongs – at 6.40. Horse Whisperer, trained by Chris Dwyer, trailed home last in an Ascot contest 20 days ago but is markedly down in grade here so has to be of interest. Stanley Spencer is another to note here, a winner at Kempton in July and fourth last time out but will have to defy an iffy stall draw in nine to be successful in Essex.
The midway point of Thursday’s meeting arrives at 7.10 with a mile maiden stakes in division one and ten runners are set to take it on. The Andrew Balding-trained Under Siege arrives at Chelmsford with some very strong form behind him, having chased home Dante winner Economics on debut at Newbury and then a Group 3 winner in Lead Artist at York so should have far too much for his opposition here. Lordsbridge Blu was an eye-catcher on debut when fourth at Yarmouth and will give Balding’s runner the most to think about.
Division two of the same discipline is up next on the card at 7.40, with nine runners lining up for the mile maiden stakes. Urban Lion was a 100/1 eighth of 14 on debut at Newmarket, shaping much better than his starting price would suggest, and is likely to improve here. Breathless Spirit is another one who is open to progress but has a bit to find among his rivals, while Gaiety Musical for trainer David Evans could be the one to side with off the back of two second places in his four starts so far.
A 13-runner one mile handicap in class six marks the penultimate race of the evening (8.10) and Soveraine should give a good account here dripping down in trip with the visor on for the first time, following a creditable third of six in a Hamilton handicap last time out and is now 1lb lower in the weights for trainer Charlie Johnston.
Finally, the card comes to a close with the one mile and two furlong handicap for three-year-old’s in class six (8.40) and preference in the finale heads the way of Drouthy Neebor, stepping up in trip here and making his handicap debut for trainer Hughie Morrison.
Chelmsford selections – Thursday
5.35 – Battleofbaltimore
6.10 – Force And Valour
6.40 – Horse Whisperer
7.10 – Under Siege
7.40 – Gaiety Musical
8.10 – Sovereign
8.40 – Drouthy Neebor
