Ruby Walsh’s Racing Tips:
Chester 13:30 – Ziggy’s Phoenix
Chester 14:05 – Squealer
Chester 14:40 – Ashtanga (each-way)
Chester 15:15 – Arrest
Chester 15:45 – Frankness (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Chester 13:30 – Ziggy’s Phoenix
There’s two Ziggy’s in the line-up here – Dream and Phoenix and it’s Ziggy’s Phoenix that I’m most keen on. He broke well last time to get to the lead at Ripon and staying on to win. A repeat of those tactics could see the Richard Hannon trained two-year-old, partnered by Ryan Moore go very close in this opening contest.
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Chester 14:05 – Squealer
Jer Batt seems an obvious place to start for this three-year-old handicap over 5f and the crack apprentice Billy Loughnane has been booked. However, his win last time at Musselburgh and two runs before that at Southwell are a different test to Chester.
An alternative is Squealer who had pretty good two-year-from and likes to race close enough to the pace. The booking of Tom Marquand is eye-catching too. A good draw in stall one helps too.
Chester 14:40 – Ashtanga (each-way)
The current favourite for the Epsom Oaks, Savethelastdance, will be hard to beat after the form of her Leopardstown maiden win was boosted by both the second and third, Boogie Woogies and Azazat, winning since. Aidan O’Brien won this last year also with Thoughts of June. However, Ashtanga looks to be full of potential and may be a decent each-way chance against the favourite.
Chester 15:15 – Arrest
The race centres on Arrest and Adelaide River and I wasn’t too impressed by Adelaide River’s run at the Curragh where he look to fold when the going got tough. Arrest finished six lengths ahead of the Ballydoyle runner when they met at Saint Cloud last October (the pair second and third to Dubai Mile) and I don’t see Adelaide River reversing that form now.
Chester 15:45 – Frankness (each-way)
I’m taking a little bit of a flyer here on Andrew Balding’s top-weight Frankness who is a two-time winner at Chester already. She ran ninth in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes last month over 7 furlongs and drops back a furlong in trip now. Her draw in 12 isn’t ideal but there’s plenty of pace on in this contest and it could be set up for a ‘closer’ who finishes fast and late. At the prices, she seems a decent each-way option to me.
Ruby Walsh’s Racing Tips:
Chester 13:30 – Ziggy’s Phoenix
Chester 14:05 – Squealer
Chester 14:40 – Ashtanga (each-way)
Chester 15:15 – Arrest
Chester 15:45 – Frankness (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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