Chester Friday Preview - 12/05/23

The first race of the afternoon at Chester on the final day of the May meeting is the Class 2 Handicap over 7.5f and we have dutched two horses against the field at a similar price.

The first is the Richard Spencer trained Revich who has a great record at Chester and has been in decent form away from the track.

A record of 154112373 on the Roodee with a win over today's course and distance with soft in the description, he tends t do his best work here.

Running a fair race on his first run of this season when ninth of 22 in the Lincoln Handicap on heavy ground at Doncaster, next time out at Newbury he was a better third at Newbury on soft when third behind Irish Lincolnshire winner Latham and the in from Jimi Hendrix.

Performing well on soft and running off 1lb higher than his last winning mark, now back at Chester drawn in six he has a live chance.

At a similar price from stall 1 is the Adrian Keatley trained Wobwobwob who has started the season in great from and drawn well today on his ideal ground he should be able to keep that good run going.

A winner at Catterick on his penultimate run of last season off a mark of 82 on soft ground, he took that form into this season.

Starting the term off at Redcar when a close fourth over 7f behind the likes of The Cookstown Cafu and Darkness, he was last seen putting up his performance of the season when second to the smart Al Mubhir at Leicester in the King Richard III Cup.

Running off the same mark of 86, he should go close again.

Next up is the Precision Facades Handicap over 10.5f and last years winner of the race Baryshnikov can make it back to back wins in this event.

Winning at Pontefract at the start of the season off a mark of 86 over 10f, he then went into this event and saw off Cap Francais off a 5lb higher mark.

Off a mark of 94 he was then third of 10 behind a well handicapped Forest Falcon but when tried in bigger fielded events at York and Goodwood in strong handicaps he ran no race, with the ground quicker than he prefers.

Needing his first run of the season at Doncaster when only beating one home, he then showed his true colours back at Pontefract when third in a Class 2 Handicap off 91.

Back at a track where he has won three of his four events, getting soft ground off the same mark as his last win at the track he has every chance of getting back to winning ways.

The feature event of the afternoon is the Group Two Huxley Stakes over 10.5f and Point Lonsdale for Aidan O'Brien is a class act.

A very bright juvenile winning his first two events, including the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot on soft ground, Group Three Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown and Group Two Futurity Stakes at the Curragh.

Point Lonsdale finished that season finishing a good second in the National Stakes behind the superstar two year old Native Trail.

Seen just once as a three year old when running no race in the 2000 Guineas he suffered a setback and was put away fro the rest of the term.

Returning this term up in trip to 1m2f at the Curragh he landed the Group Three Alleged Stakes in good fashion, with the second since franking the form by landing the Group Two Moorebridge Stakes.

O'Brien has won two of the last five renewals of the race and looks to have as good as chance as ever with this one to make it 3/6.

Another big event on Friday afternoon is the Chester Cup over 2m 2 1/2f and we have two runners at each way prices that should go well.

The first is the Hugo Palmer trained Zoffee who was a fair jumps horse for Philip Hobbs but given to Palmer last season raced on the flat turned into a very credible performer.

Getting off the mark on his second start of the season over 1m6f at Salisbury off a mark of 81, he then went to Newcastle and landed the 18 runner Northumberland Vase with ease.

Bumped up to a mark of 90 he took the rise in the weights in his stride to finish a short head third in the bet365 Trophy at Newmarket.

Not seen to his best at 2m 4 1/2f at Glorious Goodwood when seventh of 14, he then got back to form at York when third in the Class 2 Stayers Handicap behind the extremely well handicapped Alfred Boucher.

Finishing the season on a mark of 93, he placed again in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket when fourth behind Run For Oscar and off the same mark today he can hit the frame again.

At a bigger price and a horse who will love all the rain that falls on the Roodee is the Harry Fry trained Metier, who has been a star for the yard on both the flat and over the jumps.

A winner of the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle back in 2021 on heavy ground, bolting up by 12 lengths from the smart Shakem Up'Arry.

Tried on the flat in November 2022 at Doncaster when taking a good 1m4f Handicap off a mark of 89 on heavy ground, he was then tried on both the jumps and the flat and underperformed on all three occasions.

However, on a mark of 94 in April this season he bounced back to form on good to soft ground in the Queen's Cup and finished a good second behind Wise Eagle.

Wise Eagle has since gone on to frank that form by finishing a good second in the Group Three Sagaro Stakes behind leading Gold Cup chance Coltrane.

Metier is up 3lb for that win and if getting his ideal sloshy ground he has to be taken seriously.

The Maiden Stakes over 1m 4 1/2f comes next and Banderas at the top of the market for Michael Bell makes real appeal.

Fifth on his juvenile debut last term at Newmarket over 1m2f when learning plenty of experience for the run, he was then put away and saved for this term.

Sent to Southwell for a pipe opener he was a good third over 1m3f and next time out improved again to finish a head second behind a decent horse for William Haggas.

He has a lot less to prove than the field if handling soft ground.

The final event of the afternoon is the Chester Plate over the same trip as the Chester Cup and again we have dutched two against the field.

The first is last years winner Bellatrixsa for Venetia Williams who landed this event last term off a lowly handicap mark of 77.

Prior to that run she was in smart from over hurdles, but this season has not been in the same form struggling to get involved in her races.

The move back to the flat to a course she performs well at is a big positive and only 4lb having race fitness on her side she could go close again.

At a bigger price is a horse who enjoys soft ground and is a winner at the track already with Hydroplane for Ian Williams looked to have been set up for the race.

Sixth in this event last year off a mark of 78 on good ground, he was next seen back at Chester over two miles off 2lb lower and took a decent handicap by six lengths.

Sixth of 14 at Glorious Goodwood off 6lb higher to finish off the term, this season he has been mixed over both hurdles and the flat.

Finishing third of nine on seasonal debut in January at Kempton on the all weather, he then went to Huntingdon and showed that hurdles are not his bag anymore.

Back on the flat when last seen finishing two lengths behind the fav for this race giving him 1lb, he now receives 5lb and having form on testing ground at 14/1 compared to the favourites 2/1, he looks the obvious choice.