HORSE racing fixtures have been battered this week with cancellations thanks to the dreadful weather sweeping across Britain but, thankfully, the country does still have its all-weather racing to beat the poor conditions.
Chelmsford Racecourse will be racing on Thursday and the Essex track will host a seven-race card in the evening, kicking off at 5.30pm and coming to a close three hours later at 8.30pm.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview for Chelmsford’s card on Thursday courtesy of Punters Lounge, who offer the latest horse racing betting throughout the season.
The opening contest on the card (5.30) sees a field of 12 head to post for the class six apprentice handicap over six furlongs. The consistent Time Patrol for trainer Tony Carroll could be the way to go here having shown plenty of promise despite recent defeats, including a close fifth at Lingfield 18 days ago. Shades Of Grey is the next best, a thrice-race maiden that shaped better than a fifth at Southwell last month and is stepping up in trip here, which should suit.
Race two of the evening (6.00) is a class five maiden stakes for runners between three and five years old and seven of them are set to tackle the six furlong trip. Soldiers Star, trained by Hugo Palmer, sets the standard here with a second and third on his CV so far so is taken to go one better and shed his maiden tag. Of the rest, Claim That Smile showed plenty of promise when sixth on debut at Kempton having been left poorly placed and should improve.
An 11-runner handicap over one mile and six furlongs marks race three on Chelmsford’s card (6.30) where Carlton, who has thrived since joining the James Owen yard, can make a bold bid to land a course-and-distance hat trick, having won on his last two spins in Essex and has only been nudged up 2lb in the weights by the handicapper.
Powerful trainer Ralph Beckett sends The Outlaw to Chelmsford for race four (7.00), a runner that left his debut eighth well behind him when finishing second at Southwell just six days ago and now steps up in trip so is taken to go one better. Of his rivals in this mile handicap, Khutulan for trainer James Ferguson rates the main danger, a winner in first-time cheekpieces at this track in September and backed that up with a second at Wolverhampton last time out.
Course and distance winner Triggered looks the one to beat in race five (7.30) for trainer David Lighnane, a better than the bare result fourth last time out Kempton and is preferred to Rising Force, another previous C&D winner while race six (8.00) can go the way of Platinum Jubilee, trained by Des Donovan that hasn’t won in 11 runs but has the first-time blinkers on and is stepping back up to what appears to be a more suitable one mile trip.
Finally, the card comes to a close with a mile and a quarter handicap in class five and six runners are set to head to the stalls (8.30) with preference in the finale heading the way of Auguste Lumiere for the Clare Hobson team, a close second over course and distance 28 days ago on debut for his new yard.
Chelmsford selections – Thursday
5.30 – Time Patrol
6.00 – Soldiers Star
6.30 – Carlton
7.00 – The Outlaw
7.30 – Triggered
8.00 – Platinum Jubilee
8.30 – Auguste Lumiere
