Rory Delargy

CHEPSTOW SATURDAY

2:40 totescoop6 MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE 2M3F110Y

Colin’s Sister missed an engagement at Hereford on Thursday due to quick ground, but there should be enough ease to allow her to take her chance here. Fergal O’Brien’s scopey mare did well in bumpers last season, generally keeping very good company and finishing her campaign with an excellent second in listed company at Sandown in March.

She possesses the pedigree and physique to excel over hurdles, she is stoutly bred, and will appreciate stepping up in trip here. She has been weak in the market for pretty much all her runs, but has always performed with credit, and it will be interesting how she fares in the market on this hurdles debut.

3:15 totequadpot NOVICES’ CHASE 2M3F98Y

Our Kaempfer enjoyed no luck last term, shaping well on this card and looking sure to take a hand in Haydock’s valuable Fixed Brush event in November only to be brought down. He was given too much to do when a fine fifth behind Mall Dini in the Pertemps Final, and ended the season winless despite looking better than ever. He has always appealed as the sort to make into a top-class chaser, and this athletic gelding will go well if fully wound up for his chase debut. I think it will be hard for the penalised runners here, and the main threat could come from the exciting Clan Des Obeaux, who found conditions a bit too quick in the Triumph Hurdle, but had looked an excellent prospect in winning on his hurdles debut at Newbury. He clearly comes to hand early, and receives lumps of weight from the older horses, so merits maximum respect.

5:00 toteexacta HANDICAP CHASE 2M7F131Y

Little Jon failed to fire after winning at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting last November, but, as a result, he’s dropped to a mark just 1lb higher than for that impressive win, and he has prospects of staying this trip at Chepstow away from the mud. A bold jumper on the whole, he struggles to put himself right when not seeing a stride, and probably lost confidence last winter, where a couple of visits to Cheltenham proved disastrous, and he needs to avoid Prestbury Park given his jumping frailties. Chepstow, with its inviting fences should be more to his liking, and he could easily bounce back, particularly with his yard in flying form (four winners from as many runners on Wednesday and Thursday).

NEWMARKET SATURDAY:

2.20 DUBAI BUSINESS INTERNSHIPS FILLIES’ NURSERY HANDICAP 7F

An open handicap, but Fire Palace appeals as a solid bet after a luckless run at Doncaster last time, when twice being hampered by the same rival, and doing extremely well to regather her momentum, especially in light of the second incident which took her badly off a true line as the race was hotting up. She steps up half a furlong in trip here, which will suit, and the handicapper has been kind in raising her just 2lb for the Town Moor run. She had previously won over this trip at Kempton, showing admirable resolution, and that quality will stand her in good stead.

3:30 DUBAI DEWHURST STAKES (Group 1) 7F

A cracking renewal of the Dewhurst, and while I have little doubt that Blue Point is better than his second in the Middle Park implies, the fact that only Diesis has managed to win the Middle Park and Dewhurst in the same season since Bayardo in 1908 shows what very different races the two are, and the Godolphin colt seems well suited by the shorter trip, so has questions to answer trying seven furlongs for the first time. Rivet and South Seas have impressed at a slightly lower level and clearly have no stamina doubts, but it’s hard to get away from Churchill, who slammed Mehmas in the National Stakes and looks to have no flaws at this stage of his career. He is proven on quick and soft ground, carries enough condition to suggest he will keep finding extra with racing, and has made an impressive breakthrough at Group 1 level, so is essentially impossible to oppose despite odds-on quotes.

4:10 BETFRED CESAREWITCH 2M2F

The draw has not been kind to some of the ante-post fancies, particularly St Michel, who has been stuck with stall 32, and while the draw should in theory be less important in races over staying trips, that isn’t borne out by the results, with the lower half of the draw faring much better than the high numbers, for all backers of the favourite will be buoyed by the fact that Never Can Tell overcame stall 33 (or 36 if non-runners ignored) a few years ago.

I prefer to concentrate on those drawn low to middle, and last year’s first and second, Grumeti and Oriental Fox need consideration, for all neither have fired fully this time around. I’d not put you off either, but the pick for me is The Cashel Man, who has an ideal position in stall 8, and is proven at the trip having finished second in the Cesarewitch Trial here last month despite finding a modest pace against him. He was no match for the classy Penglai Pavilion in the end, but stayed on dourly, and the likely end-to-end gallop will see him in a better light now. Of the outsiders, it’s possible that a big run could be forthcoming from smart bumper performer The Minch, who has not gone on as yet from a promising flat debut, but comes from a yard which broke a lengthy losing sequence with a double at Ayr on Thursday, and that could be a catalyst for an improved effort from the son of Flemensfirth, who surely has a big future over jumps whatever happens here.

RECOMMENDED

FIRE PALACE 2.20 Newmarket - 1pt e/w @ 10/1 (SkyBet)

THE CASHEL MAN 4.10 Newmarket - 2ptse/w @ 16/1 (SkyBet - ¼ odds 6 places)

THE MINCH 4.10 Newmarket - 0.5pts 50/1 Ladbrokes

OUR KAEMPFER 3.15 Chepstow - 1pt win

LITTLE JON 5.00 Chepstow - 1pt win