Paul Ferguson has three racing tips for us on Saturday; Our Kaempfer 16:30, Monsieur Gibraltar 15:55 and Hollies Pearl 14:45 all at Chepstow. Compare odds and bet.
Flat fans are well catered for this afternoon with Newmarket staging the Cesarewitch and a fascinating clash between Air Force Blue and Emotionless in the Dewhurst Stakes, while Chepstow stages a fantastic card as a curtain-raiser to the new jumps season.
The feature from the Welsh track is the ultra-competitive Silver Trophy, in which a case could be made for several of the interesting second-season hurdlers on show, but preference is for Our Kaempfer (4:30) who regular readers will remember did well for us last term.
Charlie Longsdon’s imposing six-year-old returns on a fair mark (140) and looks capable of scooping a nice prize, before connections consider switching him to fences. A winner of novice hurdles at Market Rasen and Kempton, he went on to finish third in the Grade 1 Sefton at Aintree and, given how keen he can be, the drop in trip shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience, especially first time out.
The ground and likely strong pace should be in his favour and, assuming Noel Fehily can settle him in the early exchanges, a big run looks on the cards. Hopefully he will be available at an each-way price, given the competitiveness of the race.
Paul Nicholls had Monsieur Gibraltar (3:55) in the Silver Trophy at the five-day stage, but instead goes for the four-year-old handicap, which he can win under Sam Twiston-Davies.
A winner at Newton Abbot on his sole start in Britain to date, the Spirit One gelding fairly bolted up that day and looks capable of making his mark at a higher level. Nicholls has dominated this contest in recent years and, though it looks a deeper race than is often the case, you would assume that this has been the plan for some time.
Elsewhere on the card, smart bumper performer Altior is of interest in the opener, a decent looking novices’ hurdle, while Sausalito Sunrise is one to note later on for the in-form pairing of Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson. But, the pick of the remainder looks to be Hollies Pearl (2:45) who should be very difficult to beat in the mares’ novices’ hurdle.
A very smart bumper performer, she won here in March before completing the hat-trick in that sphere at Aintree on Grand National day, and the daughter of Black Sam Bellamy looks to possess plenty of size and scope for jumping.
Up at Hexham, keep an eye on Oscar Blue in the opening maiden hurdle, for Brian Ellison and Will Kennedy. The five-year-old won a Sedgefield bumper before finishing third at Ayr during April; he should make his mark over hurdles and he looks to have been found a nice opportunity.
Saturday’s selections:
2:45 Chepstow Hollies Pearl 8/13 Skybet
3:55 Chepstow Monsieur Gibraltar 9/4 Stan James
4:30 Chepstow Our Kaempfer 11/1 Bet365
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