It's Chester...time for Coleen and co

And so the equine roadshow moves on to the delights of Chester, a spectacular venue that stages the Chester Cup on Wednesday, an event I have previewed below from a trends perspective.

Instead of listing all the categories under each runner as previously, I will just list their overall trends rating based on the following clues from the book: Grade 1 venue last time (1pt), four to seven-year-old (1pt), prominent or held up (1pt), British or Irish-bred (1pt), victory in a Class 4 or better handicap over 1m6f or further (1pt), likely SP of 16/1 or shorter (1pt), and official rating 85-95 (½pt).
*Bonus 1pt for winning either the Queen’s Prize or a 2m handicap at Newbury last time.

Chester Cup trends ratings

7½ Desert Sea
6½ Ajaan, 6½ Gala Evening, 6½ Som Tala
6 Amerigo, 6 Daraahem
5½ Double Banded, 5½ Halla San, 5½ Tilt
5 Downhiller
4½ Formax, 4½ Warsaw Pact
3½ Inchnadamph, 3 Macorville (NR), 2½ Dunaskin, 2 Hindu Kush,
0 Carte Diamond

Chester also holds three distinct memories for me – the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good – When I was at the Racing Post in 1998, I landed a touch on Classy Cleo in the sprint handicap. A cracking sprinter who returned to score again over the same course and distance later that summer when I once again backed her.

The bad – Richard Hills having a nightmare ride on Zonus in 2004, who finished like an express train after a blocked passage. He also returned over the same course and distance later that summer, but I wasn’t on then when obliging at 8/1.

The ugly – My only visit to Chester racecourse around five years ago may well be my last as it was heaving, and getting a drink was like entering a rugby scrum. In fact, the large groups of men that seemed to have leased certain parts of the course for the day were distributing two-pint glasses backwards from the bar over their mate’s heads like a rugby ball.

Talking of which, I noticed there was a report of a major incident involving alcohol at last weekend’s Guineas meeting at Newmarket – oh dear. This follows another fight at Newmarket a few years ago when I was present – no I wasn’t involved – overlooking the paddock.
Maybe these racegoers should take a leaf out of the Irish racegoers manual as they seem to escape trouble-free, mainly because the majority understand and enjoy their horseracing, along with a drink. I didn’t read of any incidents at the Punchestown Festival – or should that be ‘Mullinstown' – where there were some very revealing performance ratings from the book.

The performance that interested me the most was Mikael D’Haguenet, who also clocked a smart rating at Cheltenham, and he looks one to punt ante-post at the start of next season once plans are made clear – hurdles or jumps?

Performance ratings

Flat
SAGARO STAKES – Patkai 75
DAHLIA STAKES – Heaven Sent 73
2,000 GUINEAS – Sea The Stars 84
HERITAGE HANDICAP (6f) – Evens And Odds 67
JOCKEY CLUB STAKES – Bronze Cannon 75
1,000 GUINEAS – Ghanaati 75
PALACE HOUSE STAKES – Amour Propre 76
PRETTY POLLY STAKES – Take The Hint 63
MOORESBRIDGE STAKES – Curtain Call 76

Jumps
CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE – Hurricane Fly 75
PUNCHESTOWN GOLD CUP – Notre Pere 89
CHAMPION INH FLAT RACE – Dunguib 66
SWORDLESTOWN CUP NOVICE CHASE – Barker 77
WORLD SERIES HURDLE – Fiveforthree 82
CHAMPION HURDLE – Solwhit 85
CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE – Mikael D’Haguenet 78
CHAMPION 4YO HURDLE – Jumbo Rio 69

I’m relieved to have left all of the dates ‘open’ in this season’s Flat book as races are constantly being switched, such as the 6f Heritage Handicap at Newmarket last weekend, which used to be run on the Saturday but took place on the Sunday this time around. I trust you all noticed such changes, but I will try to flag up any major ones in advance on here.

TOP OF THE FORM

The Top 20 took care of itself last week when supplying plenty of winners and things are beginning to warm up with the Flat season settling down. One of the races I mentioned on here last week from 2008’s backend also found a tasty winner at Ascot in Apple Charlotte at 11/2.

Here are some more races that haven’t made the Top 20 for various reasons – by the way, Trafalgar Bay’s Doncaster race is outside the chart as the rating is too low, but I hope some of you backed him and it’s worth backtracking to the Lincoln meeting in search of horses that were disadvantaged on the stands’ side that weekend as Evens And Odds was another to improve at Newmarket on Sunday.

17 March Kempton, 2m handicap hurdle won by Spanish Conquest –
6 wins from 17 runs

2 April Aintree, Grade 1 novices hurdle won by Walkon –
2 wins from 5 runs

4 April Lingfield, 5f maiden won by Soccer –
2 wins from 5 runs

8 April Nottingham, 5f handicap won by Mattamia –
3 wins from 14 runs

8 April Nottingham, 5f novice stakes won by Star Rover –
2 wins from 6 runs

18 April Doncaster, 6f handicap won by Proclaim –
2 wins from 4 runs

18 April Doncaster, 5f maiden won by Patteresa Girfl –
2 wins from 7 runs

It’s also worth giving Song Of Praise another chance to redeem herself as this filly’s Wolverhampton victory from March 23 (currently in the Top 20) has worked out exceptionally well.

Finally, I mentioned Calzaghe (Flat only) and Sweet Lightning last week as two horses that caught my eye of late, well, add Breakevie to that list after a tender ride from an inexperienced pilot at Donny on Saturday.