THE latest evening meeting at Chelmsford Racecourse takes place on Thursday with a nine-race card under the lights at the Essex track.
Racing gets underway at 4.30pm with a one mile and two furlong jockeys’ handicap in class six before rounding off four hours later at 8.30pm as nine runners tackle the class four handicap.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview of Chelmsford’s card on Thursday courtesy of Sporting Life.
The opening contest on the card (4.30) is a big-field handicap for amateur jockeys in class six, with 16 runners set to take on the one mile and two furlong trip. Diffident Spirit is on a lower all-weather mark than on turf and shaped better than the bare result when fifth last time out at Wolverhampton so he is given the nod to get the win here. Last time out course and distance winner Meadram rates the main danger from the Marcus Tregoning yard.
Division one of the one mile and two furlong novice stakes for two-year-old’s marks race two of the evening (5.00) and Cloth Of Gold for trainer Charlie Johnston yard has the best form on show, second of 11 in a maiden at Southwell 38 days ago and sets the standard here over a further trip. Division two of the same discipline follows next (5.30) and Nobleman hails from a top yard and makes a debut for Andrew Balding here in what looks a pretty thin contest.
Circus Of Rome stands out clearly on form in race four of the Chelmsford card (6.00) as nine runners take on the class three novice stakes for two-year-old’s. Richard Hughes’s runner was second of ten in a Lingfield maiden last time out and was well clear of the rest that day so shouldn’t have too much of a problem going one better this time around in Essex.
Ten runners will head to the stalls to take on race five (6.30) which is a mile nursery contest in class six, again for two-year-old horses only. Preference in this one heads the way of Flaine for trainer David Loughnane, a winner at Southwell and posted two solid efforts subsequently when finishing runner up at this track and also at Wolverhampton last time out. Borderline Madness rates the next best, a respectable fourth of 12 last time out and is respected as he is operating from a 1lb lower mark in the weights here.
The James Ferguson-trained Diderot is back to defend his crown 12 months on from winning this race last year as the six-year-old takes on eight rivals in the class two handicap (7.00) over a mile and is the feature race of the evening. A wide draw isn’t ideal for Diderot but he is still taken to overcome that and win this race for a second straight year, boasting an excellent record when fresh and runs off the same mark as when he was victorious 12 months ago.
Sullivan Bay for the Jim and Suzi Best team looks the one to beat in race seven of the evening (7.30), returning to winning ways in October and backed that up with a good third at Southwell, while the penultimate race of the evening (8.00) can go the way of Hiatus, a winner last time out over course and distance seven days ago which was a career-best and is taken to follow up this time.
Finally, the card comes to a close with the one mile and two furlong handicap in class four (8.30) to bring proceedings to an end, with His Finest Hour getting the nod in the finale for the Ian Williams yard, a winner of a seven-runner novice last time out at Wolverhampton and there should be a lot more to come as he begins his handicapping adventure.
Chelmsford selections – Thursday
4.30 – Diffident Spirit
5.00 – Cloth Of Gold
5.30 – Nobleman
6.00 – Circus Of Rome
6.30 – Flaine
7.00 – Diderot
7.30 – Sullivan Bay
8.00 – Hiatus
8.30 – His Finest Hour
