17:05 Chester

Saturday 15 September 2018

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5516:3017:05

chesterBET Handicap

Off time: 17:06 | Winning time: 2m 18.71s

(2)

Dark Devil^p1⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: Oakley Brown⁽⁷⁾| T: R A Fahey| OR: 80| C

5/1

Hasn't won for exactly 12 months now (7½f Chester), and the first-time cheekpieces are introduced seeking that extra edge; ground fine and has twice made the frame off similar marks over C&D in 2018 (including latest).

Form: 427453

(10)

Ghayyar¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Rachel Richardson| T: T D Easterby| OR: 79

14/1

Has tackled a variety of trips during his 18-race career (7f-1m4f), but all three of his wins have come over 1m on decent ground; still 7lb above his last winning mark.

Form: 531954

(1)

Knight Destroyer¹⁷⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: D Allan| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 78

9/2

Runner-up over 1m4f (soft) at Chepstow on his final Flat start in 2017, and has been campaigned exclusively over hurdles since; capable, but this trip looks to be on the short side and this race promises to bring him forward after a 174-day absence.

Form: 79/2162-

(4)

Al Destoor^t¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 9-8| J: G Lee| T: J Candlish| OR: 78| CD

3/1

2-19 in this code on turf, with both wins coming with 'soft' in the going description. Has dropped back to a handy mark (12lb lower than when runner-up over C&D in September 2017); major player.

Form: 20-7865

(7)

Bakht A Rawan⁶³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: M Dwyer| T: W S Kittow| OR: 76

25/1

Decent overall strike-rate (5-25), and handles soft ground, but yet to win over further than an extended mile (C&D second off this mark in May 2016); tailed-off when last in action in mid-July.

Form: 5/15520

(6)

Instant Attraction¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: J Garritty| T: Jedd O'Keeffe| OR: 75| C

7/2

Made the frame over 1m at Ripon last month (beaten 2½L), but he has plenty of similar placed form on his CV since last scoring in June 2015; ground fine, but new trip a complete unknown.

Form: 597-343

(9)

Carnageo^b¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: P Hanagan| T: R A Fahey| OR: 74| D

7/1

Appreciates some give underfoot (three-time winner on good to soft), and was in-form this time in 2017 when gamely repelling Save The Bees by a head at York (1m2f); needs to produce that fraction extra in order to capitalise on his falling mark.

Form: 875723

(3)

So You Thought^p1¹³³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: A Elliott| T: S G West| OR: 74

16/1

Left Dermot Weld for 48,000gns in July with a career record of 1-9 (1m maiden winner at Navan in April 2017); cheekpieces applied for UK/stable debut; not overly burdened by the handicapper based upon his Irish handicap form.

Form: 246-475

(11)

Cornborough^v1⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: K Stott| T: M Walford| OR: 73| D

12/1

Hasn't won since July 2017 (1m2f Haydock), but races off that winning mark today and was an improved nearest at the finish third (33/1) over 1m at Haydock latest; visor applied over a more suitable trip, but poorly drawn in stall 11.

Form: 43-5363

(12)

Keswick^t²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Charlie Bennett| T: H Main| OR: 72| D

33/1

Ex John Gosden-trained 1m2f AW winner who was sold cheaply for £4,000 in September 2017; wind surgery hasn't led to an upturn in fortunes and tough to enthuse over despite a steadily slipping handicap mark; widest draw of all.

Form: 31-4707

(5)

Gworn⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-2| J: Poppy Bridgwater⁽⁵⁾| T: R M Smith| OR: 72| D

16/1

Ayr regular (five-time winner there), so it's a surprise to see him in the line-up with the three-day Western meeting on the horizon; has a tendency to race keenly and that scuppered his chances on soft ground at Carlisle recently (1m3f).

Form: 855429

Non-Runners

(8)

Save The Bees²⁸

Weight: 9-8| Age: 10

T: D Carroll J: G C O'Neill

Forecasts

Al Destoor (3/1), Instant Attraction (7/2), Knight Destroyer (9/2), Dark Devil (5/1), Carnageo (7/1), Save The Bees (10/1), Cornborough (12/1), Ghayyar (14/1), Gworn (16/1), So You Thought (16/1), Bakht A Rawan (25/1), Keswick (33/1)

A race where the main contenders are all much of a muchness, with the likes of Save The Bees and Carnageo to be respected on their productive late summer campaigns in previous years. So You Thought is an interesting newcomer for Simon West, and whilst costly enough at 48,000gns should be capable of winning races off his perfectly fair opening mark (based upon his Irish handicap form). However, if there is a better treated horse in the line-up, it's most definitely the intriguing AL DESTOOR. He hasn't won since June 2017 (over C&D), but is well suited by this track overall and certainly appreciates plenty of cut underfoot.