A full card at Chester today and two selections catching the eye ahead of what should be a busy weekend of action.
3:05 Chester Cup — Zanndabad (8/1 EW, 5 places)
Zanndabad shaped like the unluckiest horse in the race last time out. Drawn in stall 10, he still managed to finish third behind Zoffee — a performance that would have won most renewals if he’d had a clear passage. Chester’s tight, turning track actually suits hold-up horses who can be produced late, and with a cleaner passage expected today, he looks well-handicapped at the top of the market. Each way at 8/1 with five places on offer is exactly the kind of value we can go for though.
3:40 Chester — Miraculous (9/1 EW, 4 places)
Tim Easterby has a fantastic record with horses stepping back up in class after confidence-boosting runs at smaller tracks, and Miraculous fits that profile well. He showed improved form at Catterick and the handicapper hasn’t fully caught up yet. Four each-way places at 9/1 gives plenty of margin, and at that price he’s firmly in the mix.
Both bets are 1pt each way. Saturday promises to be the big day with Ascot’s Victoria Cup — full selections and picks landing here and on the Substack in the morning.
