Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Chester and Sandown on Saturday. View selections below.
CHIGUN (3.15) should take advantage of a significant drop in class by scooping the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown. Lady Cecil’s mare found herself bogged down in the French mud when well behind Elusive Kate in a Group 1 at Deauville, but a return to quicker ground should trigger a transformation in fortunes. Chigun beat La Collina at the Curragh (good/firm) back in May and was short-headed by Dank, the subsequent heroine of Arlington, at Newmarket. Chigun can resist the strong three-year-old challenge headed by unbeaten Zibelina and smart Integral.
Betfred sponsor a trappy 1m 2f handicap which sees TRADE COMMISSIONER (3.50) topping the weights for the Gosden/Buick axis. The five-year-old, a course and distance winner, hinted at a return to winning form with a close-up seventh to Belgian Bill in the Royal Hunt Cup and duly stepped up at Newmarket when chasing home Kassiano in a Conditions event. Sennockian Star, the only three-year-old in the field, should post another sterling run to add to his string of excellent efforts this season.
SILVER DIXIE (5.00) has been in cracking form this summer and Ryan Moore is a good booking by Jeremy Noseda. Silver Dixie went down by a head after a ding-dong battle with Morpheus at Newmarket last time, having previously finished third to Retirement Plan at Glorious Goodwood. Silver Dixie stays further than this one-mile trip, so Moore is likely to seek a prominent early position and make full use of his mount’s stamina.
Mark Johnston’s STAR LAHIB (3.30) looks the answer to the Chester Stakes, a Listed contest over 1m 5f around the Roodee. Star Lahib will find this company less demanding than at York when finishing a fine fourth behind three-year-olds Our Obsession and Say. Star Lahib was earlier a wide-margin winner at the Shergar Cup fixture at Ascot and may have the edge over course winner Sun Central, who must overcome a disadvantageous draw in stall 10.
Ubiquitous owner Dr Marwan Koukash likes nothing better than welcoming home winners at his favourite local track and NASHVILLE (5.40) looked in rampant form when scoring by an easy six lengths at Catterick in midweek. A 6lb penalty may not stop an action replay.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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