Paul Ferguson has two selections for us on Saturday; Gabrial The One in the Chester 14:40 and Victory Day 15:35 at York. Compare odds and bet.
The second race on Chester’s card looks a competitive three-year-old handicap, but Gabrial The One (2:40) won with a bit in hand over course-and-distance recently and might be up to this rise in class.
Given that he finished full of running, a 4lbs rise seems more than fair and after just two starts over this trip, he remains unexposed as a middle-distance performer. He missed the break (reared up in stalls) when behind Lariat the time before and, whilst a case could be made for several of these, he would warrant each-way support, provided all eight go to post.
At York, the hat-trick seeking pair of Makawee and Arctic Fox are most interesting in the opening Queen Mother’s Cup – a race for lady amateur riders – but the ground is very much an unknown. The former has looked a cut above the opposition the last twice, including when an easy course-and-distance winner in May.
The ground is also of slight concern for Victory Day (3:35) but he is another worthy of each-way support, on the back of an effortless win at Ripon.
The son of Bated Breath had been gelded over the winter and had previously shaped well when coming from off the pace to grab fourth in a warm event at Redcar in November, crucially on good-to-soft. The winner of that race has won impressively on his sole start this term, whilst the runner-up, King Of Comedy, has won both starts this season (included the Listed Heron Stakes) and holds an entry in next week’s St James’s Palace Stakes.
Drawn out wide in 21, luck in running is obviously required – especially as he comes from off the pace – but Jamie Spencer is an eye-catching booking and he looks capable of a bold show.
Elsewhere on the card, keep an eye on Buzz, who I put up last week (and several times last year). He has been pitched into the Listed event and finds himself meeting most of the field on wrong terms. With that in mind, as well as the longer trip (which appeared to stretch him last season), I make him more a watching brief but he remains a horse of some interest and he is likely to travel well on the easy ground. It will be interesting to see if he sees the trip out this time, as he has been entered in a valuable 1m6f handicap at Newmarket’s July meeting.
Saturday’s selections:
2:40 Chester – Gabrial The One; 8/1 Paddy Power
3:35 York – Victory Day; 6/1 Bet365
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