Lucky 15 Tips: Jim can help star turn get off the mark at Chelmsford

One more dawn. One more day. One. Day. More ... until the Betfred Derby Festival, from Epsom. On Friday it's the Betfred Oaks, then on Saturday we have the Betfred Derby. Not many sleeps then until magic-time, but let's enjoy our Thursday fare to the full ahead of the Classic thrills and spills to come.

Three out of four won at Nottingham for us yesterday, including the Nap Of The Day (advised 5/4, returned 7/4); so we hurtle towards weekend in grand order.

I'm heading to Chelmsford, in Essex, for their eight-race flat card on the Polytrack for our Lucky 15 tips on Thursday. The action kicks in at 17:00, and with Rossa Ryan, Jim Crowley and Danny Muscutt among the jocks on view it's sure to be hard-fought and hugely entertaining.

Horse Racing Odds

Fast Racing Results

18:05 - Zooks @ 11/4

Our first selection is a five-year-old Camelot mare (apt, in Derby week) who is admirably consistent but doesn't perhaps get her head in front as often as she should.

Zooks is housed with the excellent, hugely versatile trainer Ian Williams in Worcestershire, and he's listed as the horse's owner, too. Her turn really does look close at hand - took a basement handicap at this level for Billy Loughnane in February off 49, here at around this trip, and off 52 and 51 has been second the last twice, advertising her well-being.

Richard Kingscote has got the riding assignment, and he knows her from a trio of previous bookings. He's top-drawer, she's in-form, and Ian had a winner just a couple of days ago at Wetherby. Lots to like about her prospects.

18:35 - Hot Dancer @ 4/1

A raider now from the Johnston yard up on Middleham Moor in the shape of Hot Dancer, a three-year-old Too Darn Hot colt waiting for his first score after six spins to date.

He gets the inestimable benefit of Rossa Ryan up top, and the horse is dropped a pound too by the kindly handicapper to a mark of 72. The horse gets 1m 2f for the first time and there's some welcome stamina influence on the dam's side (she's by another Epsom hero in Derby week, Sir Percy).

Some top jocks have been engaged for this fella thus far - The Doyler, De Sousa, Billy The Kid, apprentice find Sean D Bowen, Joe Fanning - and now the mighty Rossa. I've a feeling it's thought that the gates are going to open real soon.

19:07 - Sea The Wonder @ 7/4

I'm siding with Rossa again - this time on an unraced three-year-old Sea The Stars filly who in all candour fits that 'could be anything' category.

Sea The Wonder makes her debut at 10f and if Dad is one of our greatest-ever middle-distance champions, there's pace on the dam's side as she's by bullet Aussie sprinter Exceed And Excel.

Hampshire trainer Ralph Beckett is in decent form, both he and Ryan are no doubt dreaming of potential Derby glory on Saturday with Pride Of Arras, but in the meantime this filly would seem to have plenty going for her in Essex on Thursday evening.

19:42 - Kingdom Of Stars @ 7/4

Small but select field go nearly 1m 6f in this Class 4 handicap, and I'm with a four-year-old gelding trained by Tom Ward in Upper Lambourn.

Kingdom Of Stars is very lightly-raced (just six starts to date) but the penny seemed close to dropping last time eight days ago as he was beaten just half-a-length in a similar affair at Kempton over two furlongs and change further.

The evergreen and brilliant Jim Crowley has been booked to do the steering, the selection runs off the same mark as last time (72) and carries bottom-weight of 9st 1lb; getting between five and nine pounds from his rivals.

That looks very handy to me, and the proverbial stars might very well be aligning to allow this one to register a deserved first victory for patient connections.

This is an example of a Lucky 15. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

The odds can fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £199 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

Horse Racing & Greyhound bets only. Excludes Virtual Racing. 5x odds on Lucky 63. 4x Odds Lucky 31. 3x Odds Lucky 15. All selections must run. Paid in cash if only 1 winner. T&Cs Apply.

Lucky 15 tips from Betfred Insights.