AFTER a break for a couple of weeks, racing returns to Chelmsford on Wednesday evening with an action-packed nine-race card.
The meeting kicks off at 4.10pm with a class five maiden stakes before rounding off four hours later at 8.15pm as a field of ten tackle the mile and a quarter handicap in class six.
Read below for a full rundown of the Chelmsford card courtesy of Betano, who provide all the latest horse racing odds.
Up first (4.10) is a big field maiden stakes in class five, with 15 runners set to line up. There are a couple of newcomers who look to have plenty of appeal on paper and one of them is Afraj, from the John and Thady Gosden yard, a half-sister to a six furlong winner and whose dam was a winner at five furlongs, so is clearly of interest here.
Race two of the evening (4.40) is a nursery contest where the two-year-old’s take centre stage and eight of them will head to the stalls. Preference here is for Luminaire, a winner at Bath in June for previous connections but flopped when moving to the powerful William Haggas yard at Windsor in July but now off a break, remains with plenty of potential.
A fillies handicap over the seven furlong trip marks race three of the evening (5.10) and the Ed Bethell-trained Quandary looks the way to go here, returning to her optimum trip having finished fourth at Southwell 23 days ago when dropping down a furlong. Vixey rates the main danger a four-time winner in 2025 and makes a polytrack debut in Essex.
A class six division one handicap is up next at 5.45 with Jackson Street getting the nod, arriving in good nick and running off a falling mark with a losing run stretching back to 14 races, but that last win was at this track, while division two of the same discipline (6.15) can head the way of Mister Sandman for the Gary and Josh Moore team, an eye-catching second at Bath 27 days ago and can go one better here stepping up in trip.
A mile and five furlong handicap in class six is race six on the card at Chelmsford (6.45) and in a wide open contest, the David Menuisier-trained Belle Amie could be the way to go, a good second at Southwell 33 days ago and is still in with a shout despite a 3lb hike in the weights here for that good run.
Previous course and distance winner Tyger Bay was an unlucky second at this track 20 days ago, finishing strongly when hampered close to home so could be the answer in race seven (7.15), while race eight (7.45) can go the way of the Roger Varian-trained Sprightly Dance, a ready winner of a Wolverhampton novice 30 days ago and has a lot more to offer.
Finally, the Chelmsford card comes to a close at 8.15 with a ten-runner handicap in class six over the mile and a quarter trip. Preference in the finale heads the way of Love Your Work for the Daryll Holland team, a good second over course and distance 20 days ago and has won at this track before. Betty Bassett rates the main danger, back up in trip and is in good form with a second and fourth in her last two starts.
