Matty Sutcliffe is targeting the three days at Chester this week with his top value bets. He has four across Thursday for you to follow.
1:30 Chester – CAA Stellar Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-100) – Angel Shared 8/1 1pt EW 4 places
In the last ten renewals of this contest, no horse has won it from higher than stall four and low draws have generally dominated the placings as well, so the quartet of ANGEL SHARED, Fair Taxes, Rosenpur and Copper Knight can all be strongly considered and permed in a combination tricast if you’re that way inclined.
Angel Shared makes the most appeal from stall four as she shaped as if needing the run at Beverley, when faring best of the prominent runners to be beaten two lengths, with the first and second favoured suited to their position in midfield/rear and were also helped by Angel Shared drifting left off the rail, opening up the gaps inside for that pair.
The daughter of Harry Angel should be well suited to Chester as she’s blessed with natural speed, only finishing out of the frame once in five furlong contests. Her mark looks a workable once given the form of her length second to Trilby at Haydock in October was franked by the winner who’s now rated 8lbs higher, and it’s potentially telling that this is David Egan’s sole ride of the day, whose record for the yard is 3-1-1.
2:35 Chester – Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (3yo) – Hott Shott 7/1 1pt WIN
Richard Hughes had Bracken’s Laugh just touched off in this contest last season and HOTT SHOTT is taken to go one better this time around. The £130,000gns son of Too Darn Hot was two lengths behind Wimbledon Hawkeye on debut last season, and went two places better next time out at Goodwood when dead-heating with Spell Master, shaping as if needing every yard of the seven furlongs when just getting up to join Spell Master in a photo. The pair pulled clear with Consolidation who’s franked the form to win twice since now rated 95, and five lengths in behind there was Too Soon, who’s now rated 101 after a four length fourth in the G3 Zetland Stakes last time out.
Hott Shott didn’t have the pace to live up to Field Of Gold in the Solario Stakes next time out, but returned to winning ways under a penalty at Kempton to beat a pair of subsequent winners, with the third subsequently finishing fourth in a Listed contest at Newmarket.
He returned this year with two credible efforts upped to a mile to post progressive career best RPR’s, staying on to finish a four-length second to the well-touted Opera Ballo before going closer at Chelmsford when two lengths behind the 103-rated Detain and 104-rated Luther.
The visual suspicion backs up the pedigree that he’d be suited to stepping up further in trip, unsurprisingly given his dam is a half sister to five time 1m2f winner Dubai Warrior and six time winner Mootasadir (including 1m2f G3 Diamond Stakes), and he can improve again for this return to turf.
3:05 Chester – Ladbrokes Big-Value You Can Bet On Ormonde Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Mondo Man 16/1 0.5pt EW 2 places
A tentative chance is taken on MONDO MAN returning to the flat, who made a promising introduction to hurdles at Ascot when three lengths behind subsequent G1 winner Lulamba having pulled incredibly hard, rendering himself devoid of a winning chance.
He was far from disgraced in the Adonis next time out, though the application of a hood failed to bring out improvement in the Triumph when midfield there. He’s of major interest now back on the level, as he was a four-length fifth in the French Derby last summer behind the 118r Ghostwriter, 119r Sosie, 115r First Look, and 120r turned Stallion Look De Vega. He was just over a length behind Sosie there, who beat Illinois two lengths next time out, so that would suggest Mondo Man is worth playing against O’Brien’s charge here with the collateral form working in the favour of Mondo Man.
He’s evidently not devoid of stamina, and from stall three I’d imagine they’ll ping the lids and go forward immediately with him. There’s a strong plausibility that he’ll ruin his chances by being too free particularly over this trip, but that’s factored into the price and the stake. If he can settle earlier, then he could equally prove tough to peg back.
4:10 Chester – Halliwell Jones Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-90) – Fouroneohfever 5/1 2pt WIN
FOURONEOHFEVER shaped much better than his finishing position suggested when beaten six lengths from a 176 day break at Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting last time out. The entire meeting there was largely dominated by hold up performers favoured by a headwind up the straight, and several prominent racers throughout the card have already come out to win since. Fouroneohfever took a keen grip there and hung left under pressure once in the clear despite travelling well throughout, with the first nine home all noted to have either raced in ‘midfield’ or ‘rear’, with the sole ‘prominent’ racer ahead of Fouroneohfever, Asgard’s Captain, bolting up at Epsom next time out.
The form has worked out strongly since, with the winner going in at Epsom with the fifth and fourth finishing second and third to him, the eight has since bolted up at Pontefract now rated 7lbs higher, and the twelfth has also bolted up four lengths since now rated 8lbs higher.
Fouroneohfever’s keenness continues to be a concern, but he’s unbeaten in two starts here including over C&D and he ran a huge race off this mark to be beaten two lengths in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot when pulling hard throughout, finishing a length behind one now rated 18lbs higher.
While he has the burden of top-weight to contend with, he’s defied that before here and I’d be surprised if there isn’t still at least 5lbs up his sleeve, particularly on the back of that Doncaster run.
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