Thursday’s UK racing tips come your way from eht meetings at Chester and Huntingdon on 9 May 2024.
CHESTER
Race 1 – ROMAN DRAGON 4/1
Five-time course winner ROMAN DRAGON rates the most solid option receiving an inside gate in the Caa Stellar Handicap.
He produced a good effort when third among handicap company in Bahrain during February and his trainer Hugo Palmer targets this meeting.
Clearpoint did well finishing fourth behind the front-running Night On Earth at Epsom sixteen days ago and looks interesting securing a nice draw in stall three.
Night On Earth will be from a wider berth but brings plenty early pace and might be dangerous to ignore off this revised mark.
Democracy Dilemma is worth considering for each-way chance.
Race 2 – TEEJ A 5/1
TEEJ A bids to improve on her sole second-placed finish to date when she lines up in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
Karl Burke’s charge was beaten by two and a quarter lengths on debut at Nottingham and can utilise the 5lb advantage she has over her male challengers in the two-year-old contest.
Race 3 – NEVER SO BRAVE 77/100
Never So Brave followed home subsequent Group 1 winners both outings last season.
Entitled to win as he did at Thirsk recently with the Sir Michael Stoute trained colt looking well-treated off this opening mark.
Wide-margin Wolverhampton novice winner Grey Cuban showed form as a two-year-old and is worth considering.
Dashing Darcey went down narrowly over seven furlongs at Newbury upon return and warrants respect.
The impressive soft ground Class Three handicap Haydock (1m) winning Nellie Leylax also warrants thought.
Race 4 – JAYAREBE 5/2
JAYAREBE impressed at Newmarket last month can back that up in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes.
He eased to a three-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Whip Cracker to land the Feilden Stakes at the Craven meeting and the subsequent form of Richard Hughes’ colt and third-placed Caviar Heights should inspire trainer Brian Meehan.
Caviar Heights cosily won the Newmarket Stakes by four lengths on Friday, with Whip Cracker coming a distant third. Jayarebe will be thereabouts for the top honours, although God’s Window, trained like Arrest by John and Thady Gosden, is a threat following his comfortable success at Nottingham three weeks ago.
Race 5 – POINT LONSDALE 33/20
POINT LONSDALE will have his stamina tested when locking horns with Arrest in the tote.co.uk Supporting Racing Ormonde Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old has never raced beyond a mile and a half in a successful 15-race career to date, so he will be travelling over 13 and a half furlongs for the first time in this Group Three contest.
Ryan Moore guided Point Lonsdale to victory in the Group Two Huxley Stakes 12 months ago – the last taste of success for the durable Australia entire, who is back in domestic action after a stint in the Middle East this winter.
Point Lonsdale came third in Bahrain in November before picking up over £94,000 for a sixth-placed finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March, despite going off at 100/1.
Connections are confident Arrest can progress following his seventh on his reappearance at Newbury in April. He finished a 2023 campaign in which he started favourite for the Derby by taking the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury before a second in the St Leger in September.
Arrest also has form at this track when landing the Boodles Chester Vase last year, but while he has no worries over the distance, it is O’Brien’s charge who just gets the nod.
HUNTINGDON
Race 1 – KING OF THE ROAD 3/1
KING OF THE ROAD bids for hat-trick in the Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle. Justified favouritism scoring by two lengths at Market Rasen and takes a well-deserved step up in grade.
Kay Tara Tara followed a win with three placings. Back in standard after failing to finish at Newbury in a Group 2 and maintains good order.
Mistral Milly was a useful second at Hereford tackling a similar handicap hurdle last time and could get among the places along with Ferrobin, who was a course and distance winner last time out.
