17:25 Chester

Saturday 19 September 2026

All14:0014:3515:1015:4616:1716:5217:25

Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 17:25 | Winning time: 3m 25.46s

(9)

Spartan Times⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-13| J: William Pyle| T: J Candlish| OR: 72

13/2

Won 4 times on the Flat in 2025. Made a winning return in a handicap hurdle in May and has been shaping up well on the Flat here lately. Likely to be on the premises again.

Form: 13-5264

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

(1)

Carthusian⁶⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Liam Wright| T: J Candlish| OR: 71

9/1

Fair maiden at up to 17f in Ireland for Jessica Harrington. New stable picked him up for 15,500 gns last month. The betting should help guide expectations.

Form: 707974

(5)

Melon¹⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: Charlie Maggs| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 71| D

5/4

Has developed into a useful handicap hurdler since a Flat win in the mud at Haydock in autumn 2024. Presumably using this as a prep for a return to hurdles but could still be hard to beat.

Form: 4461/

(4)

Zimmerman^p,t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: Jake Dickson⁽³⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 71| D

7/2

Back to form with a vengeance this month, completing a quick hat-trick with plenty to spare at Catterick (1¾m, good) 11 days ago. Raised 6 lb but he's won off higher marks before.

Form: 236111

(10)

Wiltshire Wonder^p1¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-10| J: Zoe Lewis⁽⁷⁾| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 69

80/1

Won twice at Southwell in 2024 (including off a higher mark) but made the track only twice last season and hasn't featured in 2 outings for current yard. Headgear goes on. Best watched unless the betting speaks in his favour.

Form: 1/950-56

(6)

Tabasko⁴⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: Ashley Lewis| T: E Walker| OR: 75| D

13/2

4/5, career best when winning 4-runner handicap at Lingfield (1¾m, firm) 46 days ago. Has form on softer than good and is less exposed than the majority of these.

Form: 44-5221

(7)

Talka¹⁰⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Millie Wonnacott| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 71

150/1

Fair form in 3 Flat outings at up to 15f in France earlier in the year. Unexposed handicap newcomer for whom the betting should help guide to expectations.

Form: 744

(8)

Bulldog Spirit^p,t⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: Isobelle Chalmers⁽⁷⁾| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 58| D

25/1

Not won for over a year and struggled this season, coming in a remote fourth over 2m here last Friday.

Form: 753454

(2)

Kindly Queen^p¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Tom Kiely-Marshall| T: C N Kellett| OR: 62

66/1

Maiden. Second in a handicap for Ralph Beckett in May but no obvious promise in 2 outings for current yard.

Form: 425397

(11)

Risk Averse Rebel⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-4| J: Myla Coppins⁽⁵⁾| T: G Hanmer| OR: 52

10/1

Remains winless but has placed on 4 of his last 5 starts, including over 10.3f here last Friday. Significantly up in trip. He's 4 lb out of the handicap so the likelihood is his wait for a first win will go on.

Form: 533283

Non-Runners

(12)

Dream Harder¹⁵

Weight: 10-0| Age: 7

T: D M Loughnane J: Hope Regan

(3)

Al Za'ama⁵⁵

Weight: 8-10| Age: 3

T: D McCain Jnr J: Alfie Redman

Forecasts

Melon (5/4), Zimmerman (7/2), Spartan Times (13/2), Tabasko (13/2), Carthusian (9/1), Risk Averse Rebel (10/1), Dream Harder (20/1), Bulldog Spirit (25/1), Al Za'ama (33/1), Kindly Queen (66/1), Wiltshire Wonder (80/1), Talka (150/1)

MELON presumably has good handicap hurdles as his main aim in the coming months, but it's worth taking a chance that he's tuned up enough to take advantage of what should be a good mark in this sphere. The thriving Zimmerman is the second choice ahead of Spartan Times.