BOOKMAKERS will have been pleased with the results yielded at Chelmsford’s seven-race meeting on Thursday evening, as only two of eight favourites came home victorious, saving them too many big pay-outs.
Read on for a full report of the Chelmsford card, courtesy of Betano, who provide all the latest horse racing odds.
The first race, a mile and a quarter amateur handicap (5.30), brought in the first of the two winning favourites, in the shape of Jim Boyle’s Fihrayn (Evens). Rider Ross Birkett kept the gelding prominent in running and, turning for home, sent the son of Waldgeist forward to eventually win by two lengths. He was chased home by 9/2 shot Meadram and the 13/2 Extrication.
Next was a mile nursery handicap (6.00), for which Isambard Kingdom was hot favourite at 7/5. There were only four runners, with the second favourite being Kevin Ryan’s The Caddy Master at 7/4. Come the home turn, though, it was 3/1 shot Booziebrunch under Jason Watson who shot forward into the lead, winning by over four lengths on what was his first run wearing blinkers.
The result of the third race, the first division of a seven-furlong maiden (6.30), was the least predictable of the day. Parole Officer was the clear favourite at 5/6, with the nearest market rival being Lion Of Mali at 6/1. The favourite led the field, but it was Hilal Kobeissi’s Marwaan who sped into the lead to win, having jumped off at 14/1, chased home by 200/1 shot Hello Humphrey, while Parole Officer crossed the line behind them in third.
In the second division of the race (7.00), we had our second and final winning favourite of the meeting; the Marco Botti-trained Galileo Island at 7/4. The colt made all under rider Marco Ghiani and was never in doubt, eventually winning by four lengths. The first three home did so in market order; the favourite first, Alkumatic Sam next at 16/5 and Reliable Ricki in third at 100/30.
Division one of a seven-furlong handicap was next (7.30). Mark Usher’s Arlecchino’s Rex was the market leader at 15/8, who was kept held up in the rear in-running. 28/1 shot Alyara led the field towards the home straight, but it was Alice Haynes’ Aspire To Glory who accelerated into the lead with a starting price of 5/2, overtaking Alyara and leaving the favourite back in third position.
The second division (8.00) was a more open race, with three combined favourites; Polar Rebel, Rokuni and Vitilline, all at 9/2. Having all been prominent, only one runner managed to get past them at the finish; Martin Dunne’s South Kensington at 7/1, ridden by Alexandra Egan. The combined fancied runners finished one after the other behind him.
Second to last was a six-furlong classified stakes race (8.30). Marco Ghiani was fancied to ride a double, being aboard the favourite Poetic Jack (5/4), who was prominent but ultimately weakened within the final furlong. John and Sean Quinn’s 10/1 shot Pinjarra, meanwhile, had made all and was keeping on smartly under a five-pound claiming rider, and crossed the line three quarters of a length ahead of the runner-up, 4/1 shot Invincible Navy.
The final race of the evening was a handicap over a mile and a quarter (9.00). Jason Watson rode the best-fancied runner, Caspian King, for David Menuisier, who was prominent and led towards the finish, but was challenged Elsass and Blast The Dream either side of him, who eventually overtook, with the 3/1 Elsass doing best of the two and winning by a nose.
