Wednesday’s best bets
The classiest horses on show this afternoon are on the all-weather at Chelmsford City, where the seven-furlong conditions event for fillies has drawn a field that includes Ashadihan, sixth of 13 in the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last June, and Mise En Rose, who was a neck behind Spangled in the Listed Sceptre Stakes at last season’s St Leger meeting.
The winner of the race will get a free entry into the £150,000 Fillies & Mares’ event on Finals Day on 14 April, and today’s field also includes Volunteer Point, who has already guaranteed her place in the final with a win at Wolverhampton earlier in the winter campaign.
Mick Channon’s mare also holds the seven-furlong course record at Chelmsford, which she set in the equivalent race last season before going on to win the main event on Good Friday, and the six-furlong record holder here, Golden Amber, is in today’s field too. With Buying Trouble also bringing some excellent Listed form to the contest, this is a race that will take some winning.
On the official figures, there is nothing between Mise En Rose, Buying Trouble and Ashadihan, who are all rated 105, but Ashadihan is giving away 5lb to her field as a result of her Group Three success at Lingfield last May and Mise En Rose (3.30) could be the one to make the most of it. Charlie Appleby’s filly can be excused her most recent run behind Muffri’ha in late October, when she was wide and a long way off the pace from the worst of the draw, and her overall form looks good enough to take the spoils today.
Bracken Brae (3.00) recorded three victories at Chelmsford in 2016 and another at Wolverhampton, but still looks fairly weighted on a mark of 70, based on her close second here last time out. Oriental Relation (4.05) should also go well on the same card, while Alfie Spinner (4.30) looks a worthy favourite for the concluding race on the card at Carlisle. Kerry Lee’s 12-year-old has won both his starts since joining the stable this time last year, and this Grand National entry looks ideally suited to the demands of three-and-a-quarter miles on testing ground at this stiff track.
At Ludlow, Pull The Chord (3.10) could be the answer to a competitive handicap chase, while Marzouq (7.20) and Makaarim (7.50) make most appeal on the evening card at Kempton Park.
Carlisle
1.50 The Blue Bomber 2.20 Freddies Portrait 2.50 Lastbutnotleast 3.20 Landmeafortune 3.55 Tonto’s Spirit 4.30 Alfie Spinner (nb)
Ludlow
1.40 Shantou Rock 2.10 Lable Des Obeaux 2.40 Tara View 3.10 Pull The Chord 3.40 Master Blueyes 4.15 Distime 4.50 Beneagles
Chelmsford City
2.00 Moving Robe 2.30 Never Folding 3.00 Bracken Brae 3.30 Mise En Rose (nap) 4.05 Oriental Relation 4.40 Lost The Moon 5.10 Whaleweigh Station
Kempton Park
5.20 Sir Jamie 5.50 Swendab 6.20 Juan Horsepower 6.50 Pepita 7.20 Marzouq 7.50 Makaarim 8.20 Serenade The Stars
