Tuesday Racing Tips: Blue Bikini can sparkle at Chepstow

Four UK & Irish race meetings have survived the ongoing poor weather to go ahead on Tuesday.

They come at Chepstow over jumps alongside Flat racing on the turf from Catterick and the Curragh while Newcastle's all-weather card brings up the evening entertainment.

Amongst our trio of fancies today is Blue Bikini for trainer Fergal O'Brien on her seasonal comeback at Chepstow.

14:05 Chepstow - Blue Bikini @ 6/1

A Mares' Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow this afternoon in which cases can be made for plenty of the contenders but perhaps none more so than Fergal O'Brien's Blue Bikini.

The Winged Love mare really found her feet last season over timber, winning three times in four starts.

Those wins included at Taunton off the back of a 279-day absence in February and she added further successes at Market Rasen and Warwick in April/May to complete a satisfactory campaign.

She returns rated 5lb higher now but could have more to come this season, especially as she tackles this longer trip, and that proven ability to go well fresh is another plus for Conor Brace's partner.

15:15 Chepstow - Hymac @ 10/3

Staying at the Monmouthshire venue, look out for Harry Fry's Hymac as he starts out his chasing career in their 2m3½f handicap at 15:15.

He was second-best in both Irish points in 2021, running into a useful soft in Git Maker first time and then going down a short-head next time.

He made a winning Rules bow at Newton Abbot in March 2022 in a bumper and last winter he was placed in both hurdles starts at Ffos Las and here, latterly over this trip when denied a nose on the line after the front two had pulled a long way clear.

A mark of 124 looks workable now turning his attention to chasing and he's on the Most Napped table via the Betfred Betfinder to today's action.

16:10 Newcastle - Loom Large @ 9/2

Irish import Loom Large didn't manage to make much of an impact on turf this summer after linking up with Iain Jardine but it has been a different tale lately since switched to the all-weather.

The Acclamation gelding won over this course and distance at the start of the month, with today's rival Elshaameq behind in third and one of two next-time-out winners to emerge from that contest.

Loom Large meanwhile dropped to a mile here for an apprentice contest 11 days ago and lost out in a head-bobber. 

Paul Mulrennan is back on board now having steered him to that previous Gosforth Park win and, from an unchanged mark and with the step back up in distance to suit, they are key players in this Betfred Free Bet if 2^nd contest.