It’s another busy Thursday with Day 2 of York’s Ebor Festival taking centre stage alongside six other meetings across Britain and Ireland.
The action at Chepstow gets going at 1.40 with the Alan Bushell Racing Limited Handicap and their six-race programme concludes with a pair of mile handicaps.
The going is forecast to be ‘Good’ and we’ve got a trio to follow in Monmouthshire on Thursday afternoon.
1.40 – Rhubarb @ 13/2
Four-time Chepstow winner Rhubarb could be set for more Welsh success in the opening Alan Bushell Racing Limited Handicap for trainer Richard Price.
The mare has scored three times here over 5f and once over C&D – that success coming last summer. This season, there have been two seconds and two thirds in five visits, all over 5f.
She has mostly been running consistently of late and didn’t quite get the breaks last time out at Windsor (6f, good) in an apprentice race when finishing midfield under Alec Voikhansky.
As a result, she comes back here off her lowest mark in well over a year and she can also now rely on Connor Planas’ 3lb claim in the saddle. If they get out of the starting gates alertly, a big effort should be incoming at this favoured venue.
3.25 – Ticket To Alaska @ 4/1
The Network Productions Handicap is a wide-open affair over 7f and the likes of recent Ffos Las second Diamondsinthesand should prove popular.
The ten-race maiden ran on strongly there having missed the break and was only just denied. He has claims here, but is unfortunate to have crept back up 2lb in the ratings without getting his breakout win.
Hollie Doyle is here for a full book of rides despite the Ebor Festival being in full swing at York and she is unlikely to leave empty-handed.
Ticket To Alaska represents trainer Clive Cox and is another looking to shed the maiden tag.
A drop back to this 7f trip at Newbury (soft) last month in a pair of firs-time cheekpieces (retained now) saw the Kodiac gelding finishing a close-up fourth and, eased 1lb, he could be the answer now.
Doyle boasts a 33 per cent Chepstow strike-rate over the previous 12 months (11-33) and may well add to that on Thursday afternoon.
3.55 – Believe You Me @ 9/4
The penultimate race on the card is the Blackmore Building Contractors Handicap over a mile and it can go to Believe You Me for trainer Heather Main.
The Make Believe filly was having only her sixth start when she landed a bit of a gamble over C&D last month, always well-positioned from the off and ultimately having the best part of four lengths in hand.
A 6lb rise may not prevent the follow-up, especially given that one of her main rivals on paper, Obama Army, flattered to deceive a bit at Ffos Las a week ago when looking likely to win before having to settle for second-best.
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