14th July 2012
Chester Betting: The good Doctor's Our Jonathan to take City Plate at Chester
3.25 Chester: Chesterbet City Plate (Listed) (7f)
This weekends Chester meeting may be overshadowed by some top quality racing at Newbury, Newmarket and York but they still have a decent prize on offer for their listed contest at 3.25 over seven furlongs. 8 runners line up and last years winner Majestic Myles goes again and he’s a 7/2 shot at Paddy Power for a repeat performance.
With the ground riding soft the Richard Fahey runner will have his work cut out and would appreciate any drying out of the conditions. He showed he was in good form with a third to Libranno last time at Newmarket but all of his best form has come on good ground or firmer.
The favourite is Our Jonathan and his rating of 110 is the best along with Royal Rock. He won the Ayr Gold Cup last season and opened his account this term with a victory at Haydock in a conditions race. He was then beaten by Libranno at Salisbury before running a lifeless race at Newcastle last time in near unraceable conditions, he can be forgiven that and returns to 7f here for the first time since last July. He won’t mind the ground and has won at Chester before, he has an outside draw but with just 8 runners he should be ok.
I Love Me has a chance on the ratings and receives a sex allowance being a filly, the Andrew Balding 4yo has been taking on Group company and will find this a bit easier than when taking on Immortal Verse in the Coronation Stakes last year. She ran poorly on her seasonal reappearance at Ascot behind Joviality but may have needed that run and will strip much fitter here. The other filly in the race is Mortitia but she needs to find 20lbs improvement to get competitive as does Solar Spirit the other rag in the race.
Doncaster Rover has won over the course and always runs his race, he was in that Newcastle race along with Our Jonathan and struggled in the ground that day but previous to that was a very good second to Tullius at York in soft ground. He’s been switching between trips in an attempt to get his head in front and will be staying on late from the back and hoping for a clear path. Royal Rock has been largely campaigned at 6f throughout his career and his one try at 7f recently wasn’t a great one and he was a well beaten 5th at Haydock. He was just under 4 lengths behind Black Caviar on his latest run, he was staying on well that day which has persuaded connections to try this trip once again. No doubting his overall form is pretty solid but just one or two negatives put me off this one. Imperial Djay is the last runner to look at, he’s been a revelation for trainer Ruth Carr this season and has had a dozen races already winning twice and going close at least another three times. He runs Chester extremely well, which is why although he has at least 10lbs to find on ratings he can’t be written off around here.
Interesting race full of hold up horses and difficult to know where the pace is going to come from. Maybe I Love Me from her inside draw will go on and will be tracked through by Majestic Myles and Our Jonathan who I think will fight out the finish. We can forgive the latter his poor run in abysmal conditions last time and is taken to get back to winning ways for popular owner Dr Marwan Koukash. Of the bigger priced horses Doncaster Rover will be rattling home late and could be the each way answer to the race.
Selections:
3pts Our Jonathan 11/4 Betfred
1pt EW Doncaster Rover 9/1 Ladbrokes
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Author: Ray Singpost
