15:40 Chester

Thursday 7 May 2026

All13:3014:0514:3515:0515:4016:1016:45

Xenon Workplace Handicap

Off time: 16:37 | Winning time: 1m 32.74s

(2)

Gentle George²⁰¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: C Lee| T: R M Smith| OR: 96

50/1

Sergei Prokofiev colt who looked a useful prospect when winning 5f maiden at Sandown and 6f novice at Haydock (for Michael Appleby) in September. Ran about as well as could be expected upped in grade at Ascot on final outing but opening mark looks stiff on first run for new yard up in trip.

Form: 6116-

(10)

Command The Stars^h1²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: Darragh Keenan| T: George Scott| OR: 94| D

33/1

Winner of 3 of his half-a-dozen starts at 2 yrs, most notably a French listed race over 1m in September. Limitations exposed in better company since, including at Newmarket on reappearance and now back down in grade. Hooded applied to help him settle better.

Form: 11217-7

(1)

Caballo Grande²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: H Crouch| T: M L W Bell| OR: 94

25/1

Promise on turf debut before landing wide-margin all-weather wins in 6f maiden at Southwell and 7f novice at Wolverhampton. Found his progress coming to an abrupt half back on turf at Newbury last time, though.

Form: 31-10

(12)

Moonfall²⁹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: R L Moore| T: G Boughey| OR: 90

11/1

Expensive yearling who made the most of his experience switched to front-running tactics when off the mark in 6.5f novice at Newbury in June, suited by increase in trip. Well held in Group 2 at Newmarket the following month but back at realistic level on reappearance. Has been gelded.

Form: 2317-

(3)

Monarch's Gold³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: D Egan| T: K P De Foy| OR: 90

6/1

Won 6f novices at Kempton and Southwell last autumn. Back on the up with Southwell second in March but ran poorly in first-time cheekpieces at Newcastle on latest start. Bred to stay this longer trip.

Form: 121-520

(13)

Utmost Good Faith^h³³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Jack Callan⁽³⁾| T: G Boughey| OR: 89| D

28/1

Landed a Fairyhouse claimer on final outing in Ireland and enhanced his form further on all-weather for new yard, winning back-to-back handicaps at up to 1m. Rise in class seemed to find him out at Kempton on penultimate outing and was too free back in handicap company at Musselburgh latest.

Form: 71-1146

(5)

Mcmurray²¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Billy Loughnane| T: G Boughey| OR: 89| D

13/8

Well-made Mehmas colt who progressed well at 2 yrs, completing a hat-trick in a match race at Yarmouth (1m) on final start in October. Previous form reads well and further improvement could well be forthcoming this year.

Form: 62111-

(9)

Factual⁷⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 86

5/1

Won a 6f novice at Salisbury on debut last summer and shaped promisingly after 7 months off when second of 7 at Lingfield (7f, 5/2) in January, finishing well. Showed a good attitude to resume winning ways at Newcastle (7f) since and remains open to improvement on this switch to handicap company.

Form: 1-21

(7)

Strength of Spirit¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: S H James| T: K R Burke| OR: 86| C| D

6/1

Gelded following a progressive juvenile campaign and he picked up where he left off when winning with something to spare on return at Musselburgh (1m). Shaped well when third of 8 in 1m handicap at Haydock since and remains a useful prospect.

Form: 5121-13

(6)

Cool Molly²²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: Pierre-Louis Jamin| T: Ollie Sangster| OR: 81

12/1

Has proven a different proposition this year, making it 4 wins from 6 starts with a decisive victory in 7f handicap at Southwell on most recent outing. Yet to race on turf, but she's thriving on her racing so isn't taken lightly.

Form: 151211

(4)

King Of Thunder²⁰²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: Ray Dawson| T: H Palmer| OR: 79

10/1

Improved on the back of a gelding operation to make a winning nursery debut at Haydock (7f) in October. That form hasn't worked out especially well, though.

Form: 4601-

(14)

I'm Just Ken^t³⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-4| J: Cam Hardie| T: H Palmer| OR: 78

50/1

Havana Grey gelding who again ran to a fair level when fifth of 12 in 7f novice at Doncaster (good to soft) in March, despite things not going ideally. Makes handicap debut in a warm race and stall 14 doesn't make things any easier.

Form: 355

Non-Runners

(11)

Archer Royal⁴⁰

Weight: 9-9| Age: 3

T: J & T Gosden J: W Buick

(8)

Aqua Bear¹⁶⁶

Weight: 8-8| Age: 3

T: Ian Williams J: Joanna Mason

Forecasts

Mcmurray (13/8), Factual (5/1), Monarch's Gold (6/1), Strength of Spirit (6/1), Archer Royal (8/1), King Of Thunder (10/1), Moonfall (11/1), Cool Molly (12/1), Aqua Bear (20/1), Caballo Grande (25/1), Utmost Good Faith (28/1), Command The Stars (33/1), Gentle George (50/1), I'm Just Ken (50/1)

A 3-y-o handicap chock full of interesting sorts but perhaps none more so than MCMURRAY, who progressed well at 2 yrs and still looks on a favourable mark based on the strength of his form (beat the now 94-rated Crest of Light at Doncaster on penultimate outing). Factual cemented a positive start to his career with a determined success at Newcastle in February and remains open to improvement, while good cases can also be made for Strength of Spirit and the selection's stablemate Moonfall.