Dhaular Dhar and Stretton won the first and last races on today's Chester card a year ago and there is every chance that both can stage repeat performances. Dhaular Dhar (1.45) was gaining his third course win when getting up to beat Beckermet 12 months ago. He is 2lb lower in the handicap this time and shaped well on his most recent otuing.
Although Stretton (4.35) is in the veteran stage now, he too is well treated on his return to Chester. He has won this corresponding race first time out for the past two years.
Taikoo (2.30) is expected to be suited by a step up in distance at Nottingham. It looks significant that Steve Drowne rides the Hughie Morrison runner rather than Sea Admiral for another of his main trainers, Roger Charlton.
Tony Paley 1.00pm This just in. Expect to see Curtain Call, the second favourite for the Derby, running tomorrow as planned. Reports suggested worries about the going may scupper the plan to run him but the colt's trainer, Luca Cumani, has just been interviewed on Attheraces and says he believes there is enough moisture in the ground to ensure his horse will turn up at Lingfield for the Derby trial.
1.25pm Racing pundit Dave Nevison spends as much time regaling readers with his notorious off-track exploits (wine, women and song doesn't start to cover it) and he must have had quite a week up at Chester. When Nick Luck asked him on Racing UK just now what were his equine highlights, he got the full rabbit caught in the headlights stare. "You'll have to help me -- throw me some names Nick," was Nevison's eventual response. Nevison has put up well-backed Chartist today in the 3.15 by the way.
1.40pm Intriguingly, Nevison says Celtic Sultan, the Pricewise horse this morning, might just need the run in the opener at Chester. He's obviously been on the sauce too long -- Celtic Sultan wins. Dhaular Dhar has a classic nightmare trip around the Chester bowl, being badly buffetted at least twice, and ends up well beaten.
2.10pm Godolphin had a wretched start to the season in the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas last weekend and they will be looking for a big run from Alexandros here in the 2.15. He has drifted badly in the betting and is now 4-1 having been 2-1 morning line favourite in the Racing Post this morning. If Achill Island wins for their Coolmore rivals it will make matters even worse. Let's see.
2.20pm Alexandros is done no favours when badly hampered on the home turn but trails in fourth. Achill Island is only third as Sir Michael Stoute's Tajaaweed hangs on in a driving finish from Unnefer. All three of Godolphin horses that have run in Britian this campaign have run the same this year -- much too keen early before finding very little. From what I heard from one of our Newmarket contacts at the Guineas meeting last week the Godolphin horses are being overworked. It is certainly looking that way on the track and their horses are best left alone unless we start to see significant improvement.
The vibes after the race are that Tajaaweed is likely to be given his chance in the Derby. His best price is now 20-1 after that victory -- he will need to improve but he has plenty of scope and did not have a hard race there. It is likely the winner will improve significantly given his physical presence and he will certainly win more big prizes whatever happens at Epsom. (Hoofnote: he's now best-priced 16's).
2.50pm Macarthur romps home in the Ormonde Stakes for Aidan O'Brien. He was only seventh last time but has obviously come on a lot, as have others in the yard this season, and looks another potentially high-class stayer for the Coolmore camp.
3.45pm Why is there no race between 3.15 and 4.00 at Chester today? That sort of gap only happens at the away tracks on Grand National or Derby day. Maybe the course hope racegoers will make it to the bar in the time available. I am reliably informed that they sell beer in two-pint glasses at Chester!
While we were waiting I've seen a big eye-catcher at Lingfield. Expresso Star finishes second to Tawaash first time on a racecourse but if the runner-up isn't rated better than the winner by the end of the season I will be very surprised. Expresso Star was noted travelling well in the early stages, was not knocked about in the closing stages and was running on the unfavoured side of the track. One to follow and no doubt.
4.10pm You could have thrown a blanket over the field at the end of the 4.00 although why you would want to I don't know. The 'highlight' of the race was watching poor Johnny Murtagh cope with the fact that he lost his irons and was left to ride barebacked style -- very, very painful. Murtagh must have been thankful it was a seven-furlong maiden race and not the Chester Cup. Barebacked reminds me of my favourite line from the very first episode of Gavin and Stacey which, as befits a man who spends too little time beside the office water cooler, I saw for the first time just last week. The line is delivered by Smithy who, on espying the chain-smoking, tattoed Nessa, asks Gavin: "Have you got any johnnies? I'm not going in there barebacked." Certainly looking forward to epsiodes three and four (BBC3 Monday 9pm if you're interested).
4.45pm Cruise Director, a horse which like Krugerrand I could have as a specialist subject on Mastermind and who like Krugerrand is ready to win a race, is just touched off in the last at Chester. Cruise Director hasn't won for three years but is handicapped to win, nestling off a rating half a stone lower than the last time he did. He ran well enough on fast ground here but a bit of cut would probably work in his favour. His turn is near at hand.
6.30pm After a couple of reverses at Chester the cat had better watch out tomorrow if Jamboretta, who I saw win well at Sandown the other week, fails to do the buisness at Ascot. Our regular reader/blogger should already be on Blue Bajan at 12's for the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock and in the big-betting race of the day, the Victoria Cup, Ron Cox will be putting up South Cape at 33-1. Good luck and, as Mr Lyttleton, so lovingly put it "as the twin buttocks of time struggle onto the photocopier of eternity, and the tipsy secretary of fate fends off the managing director of destiny . . ." it's time to say goodnight.
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