Just remembered, in time to watch the race only - VWD George

Wd George  gl ...

Cheers guys, nice when one of those speculative ones wins once every blue moon.

Si Si La Bonne was weak in betting returning from a six-week break. I wasn't expecting her to lead with Profitman drawn to her inside and, having looked to be doing a bit too much in front, she weakened tamely.

Ocean Bliss again ran well, not beaten far into 4th place.

2024 Running P/L: +115.15 pts

Thanks Brian. Good luck today.

Liangel Hope, 1pt EW @ 33-1, 4.50 Windsor (4 PLACES)

Liangel Hope wouldn't want the going to ease as he does seem best on a sound surface, but in the hope conditions don't deteriorate he's of interest here as he posted a career-best effort (on RPRs) on his reappearance last season at Brighton (7f, g-f). The runner-up went down by a neck on his next start, while the third subsequently won twice. The selection only raced twice more last year when easier ground on each occasion might not have been ideal.

Liangel Hope has yet to win above class 5 level but a RPR of 84 for that Brighton success would suggest he should be capable of being competitive in a 0-82 off a mark of 76 if returning in similarly good form. One of his five career wins did come over a mile at Salisbury so he should be fine at the extra distance round here.

He's just 2lb higher than for that last success, and while he doesn't have Gina Mangan's 3lb claim this time, David Probert has a decent record for the yard with 5 wins from 27 rides and a pound level stakes profit of £10, with a further seven of those rides finishing in the first four.

That is one ugly race George. Think yours has a shout along with the other 75-1 shot Sec Strength. Good luck! 

Best of the forum!

Any targets for the season, GB? A target of 200 points maybe or is it to the end of the flat season?

Going great guns, George

Good job I stipulated the 4 places.

Similar story again with Ocean Bliss, just lacking a change of gear at a crucial stage before keeping on well to finish close up. Maybe being stepped up further in trip will suit better.

2024 Running P/L: +113.95 pts

GL George, I have backed Ali Jewels too so hope we are right!

It's Showtime, 1pt EW @ 9-1, 8.30 Chelmsford

It's Showtime makes a little each-way appeal at the prices even though she has work to do to reverse the C/D form with Zachary from their latest start, when they finished second and third behind one who has since followed up under a penalty back here. The selection was returning from over six-weeks off and disputed what seemed a decent pace before leading over a furlong out, and although she was no match for the winner, she only lost second place to Zachary in the closing stages.

She meets Zachary on the same terms and has the outside stall to deal with, but she's more than twice the price of that rival despite there not being much between them on that latest piece of form, and if she has benefited from that return from a short break then hopefully she can at least press for a place, granted a reasonable trip from her widest draw.

Gregorina, 1pt EW @ 16-1, 3.25 Cork

Gregorina is looking quite exposed at this point being a 58-rated, 13-race maiden, but she seemed to find a bit of improvement for being stepped up to 10.5f on her latest start at Dundalk, and although she was no match for the winner who also seems to have improved for being stepped up in trip, she finished four lengths clear of the other eleven runners. It has to be said that she raced prominently and came stands-side in the home straight, tactics which have tended to be favourable around that venue, but the third has since run well on turf while looking unfortunate not to have gone closer.

Gregorina has been weak in the betting this morning ahead of this switch back to turf, but interesting to see if this further step up in trip to 12f can eke out any further improvement.

Mythical, 1pt EW @ 40-1, 4.55 Doncaster (5 PLACES)

Mythical is a 7YO who has seemingly been on the decline for some time since his Ballydoyle days when he was officially rated in the hundreds, but there were signs last season that he might have a win in him for current connections, including on his reappearance at Ripon (10f, soft) off a 9lb higher mark when he wasn't beaten far into fifth place. He only ran three further times last season, all on a quicker surface, when he again didn't run too badly at Wetherby (10f) and over today's C/D.

This might not be the time to catch him as he's a sizable sort who's entitled to need his first run back at his age, but it's encouraging that he shaped well first time out last season, so a chance is taken at the odds, with his mark reduced and on ground he won't mind.

Make Clear, 1pt EW @ 12-1, 6.00 Wolverhampton (3 PLACES)

Make Clear had started to improve for Robert Cowell, and recorded a career best on her debut for new connections in Ireland when making all round Dundalk to defeat a couple of good course yardsticks. This is a step up in grade and the brains trust forming the market think this is likely to rest between a couple of the three-year-olds, but a chance is taken each-way at the odds on this improving filly, with a few firms offering three places, while hoping she doesn't get into a destructive pace duel with the other Irish challenger here, Pro Bono Alexander, who has also been showing good early pace round Dundalk.

Kehlani, 1pt EW @ 10-1, 7.09 Windsor (4 PLACES)

Kehlani had won a poor novice race over a mile at Brighton (g-f) last spring, but showed clear potential for middle distances when finishing second of 14 over 12f at Southwell last August to a Johnston-trained filly who has won three times since. She didn't build on this effort in three subsequent starts for Jamie Osborne but might have had excuses with one thing and another including when two miles might have stretched her when last seen at Chelmsford in November.

Soft ground is a query today but starts out for Kevin Philippart De Foy off a 3lb lower mark than for that good effort at Southwell, and interesting to see which way she goes for her new yard.

Candy Warhol, 1pt EW @ 10-1, 8.30 Wolverhampton

It looked a good effort from Candy Warhol over C/D three starts back when never too far away from a solid gallop before leading turning for home and battling on well, only to be caught in the final stride by one who had been held up off the pace and was following up a recent victory, with a subsequent winner in third, and the first four pulling well clear.

Candy Warhol then put in a shocker at Southwell (one mile) when sent off a well-backed favourite for an amateur riders' contest but was better on his most recent start at LIngfield (one mile) in a higher grade when finishing third at big odds behind a couple who have both won since.

He's only a pound higher here than for that creditable C/D run so hopefully can give another good account if this is one of his better days.

Unlucky with Candy there George, had a bit on ew myself. Light Up Our Stars is my best bet of the day in the last but I have rather missed the better prices. I did back Naasma ew in the Kehlani race though so a lucky day for me

Fanzone, 1pt EW @ 12-1, 4.30 Musselburgh

Fanzone's stable have been operating at a better strike rate this year, and he's of interest here back on grass based on his first turf run of last season when he was only just denied at Bath (one mile, soft) in a relatively valuable race on their Good Friday card. He'd had a couple of runs on the AW prior to that good effort, and this time around he's had several including when only going down narrowly at Newcastle over a mile in March.

He's probably better on turf and although drying ground is a slight concern, he is a course winner over 7f on good ground (off a 12lb higher mark in 2022), and he generally tends to go well at this course with a win and three places from seven starts.

Skukuza, 1pt EW @ 10-1, 4.45 Newmarket

Skukuza shaped really nicely on his debut last summer at Newbury (7f, good), so it was disappointing to see him turned over at odds-on on his only subsequent juvenile start at Yarmouth (7f, g-f) in August, but maybe the sharper test at the trip on the ground didn't suit, and as he did hang badly left perhaps there was an issue and is why he wasn't seen again until the Craven meeting, where he again didn't shape too badly having been kept to 7f.

The ground quickening up has to be a query given that seemingly below-par Yarmouth run, but he promises to be suited by the step up in trip to a mile based on both run style and the dam's side of his pedigree, so hopefully can give a good account here with that recent pipe opener behind him and Rossa Ryan retaining the ride.

2 decent places there George WD.

Cheers Cobs & Mad'. Good luck today.

It's Showtime, 1pt EW @ 7-1, 2.15 Bath

It's Showtime had run well back from a short break at Chelmsford (6f) on her penultimate start when finishing third behind one who subsequently followed up under a penalty. I selected her on her latest start over that same C/D when she was drawn 8/8 and ended up having a wide trip, so in the circumstances wasn't disgraced in keeping on for 4th place and shaped as though still in form.

The obvious query today is the switch to turf for the first time, but there is encouragement in her pedigree for handling easy ground and hopefully she can give a good account on this slight drop in grade if fine on the surface.

Buttercross Flyer, 1pt EW @ 11-1, 3.40 Beverey

Buttercross Flyer made a satisfactory return to action when finishing a close-up third at Newcastle (7f) ten days ago, when perhaps not helped by being caught towards the far side. Her sole win to date did come at Newcastle but showed she handles some cut well more than once last season, when finishing second to (this season's revelation) Ice Max last August in a Catterick maiden, and then when finishing runner-up in an 0-83 Ayr nursery at the Western meeting.

Buttercross Flyer is eligible for weaker races than this one but that respectable effort at Ayr showed she can be competitive in a higher grade.

Dr Rio, 1pt EW @ 18-1, 4,15 Beverley

For a horse with a decent record on the round course at Beverley, Dr Rio was surprisingly strong in the betting when tried over 5f at Catterick (soft) recently, but the experiment with the trip didn't work out and he finished well held. He hadn't shaped too badly prior to that over 6f at Southwell when returning from over seven weeks off.

Given his course record, Dr Rio has been weak enough in the betting this morning, but he's only a pound above the mark he won off over C/D (g-f)  last season (when trained by Paul Midgely), and while easier ground is a slight concern, his fifth of 13 at Nottingham in 2021, an effort that probably wanted marking up, suggested he does handle soft ground.

Encosta, 1pt EW @ 33-1, 4.45 Curragh (5 PLACES)

Encosta ended up finishing well held on her reappearance over C/D last month in the race where El Bello finished second, but that bare result doesn't tell the full story as Encosta was almost certainly disadvantaged by racing far side and having still been on terms around 1.5f out, she then weakened out of it. She did finish behind Loingseoir, who also raced far side, but the selection had made her effort much sooner and probably paid the price, while the run might also have been needed.

Fiver Friday, who might not have been as disadvantaged in challenging down the centre, but nevertheless was probably not ideally positioned, have since won a competitive Ayr handicap, while Sakakawea, who had raced far side in a maiden on the card and had shaped well up to a point before finishing well beaten, came out yesterday and won a Sligo maiden. All of which adds weight to the evidence that the far side of the track that day was not the place to be.

The concern is that Encosta has another low draw to deal with, but the ground drying out slightly should be a help, as should another slight drop in the ratings, and hopefully that comeback run has advanced her fitness.

Those two fared best of the four, Cobs.

Not one of my better days with 5.4 pts lost.

It's Showtime (8-1) made the frame without suggesting this first try on soft turf is what she wants.

The run of places on the thread came to an abrupt halt when Buttercross Flyer failed to build on an encouraging reappearance and finished well beaten.

Dr Rio was friendless in the betting this time despite being back at a track that suits. He made some headway from the rear to finish 4th.

Encosta was dropped out from her low draw and was never in it, making only minor late headway into mid-div. The horse I mentioned who had also been on the seemingly disadvantaged side that day at the Curragh, Loingseoir, did run better to finish 5th at 33-1 in this big field.

2024 Running P/L: +107.55 pts

Thanks Cobs. The form book (if ignoring the French going descriptions) says Dr Rio wants better ground, even if my notebook tells me he can be effective on soft ground, so maybe there will be another win in him if and when the ground dries out.

It looks like the weather gods (or the geoengineering people ) are going to bless Chester with some nice weather before it starts raining again at the weekend.

GL George, I have backed Atlantis Blue each way too. Although she's exposed she's got lots of SRs that are good enough to win this race, including 3 decent ratings at the track that are masked somewhat by the distances beaten. Fingers crossed