The feature race on the final day of Chester’s May meeting is the Ormonde Stakes, a race in which favourite Tac De Boistron will certainly be getting his ground. He’ll be carrying a group 1 penalty, so he’ll have to be close to his best on his reappearance, but he did win off a similar absence last year. He’s also proven at the course, having won a listed contest here by eight lengths. There aren’t really any holes to pick in his form, he’s the best horse in the race and certainly looks the most likely winner by some distance.
Big Orange could be a little short in the betting with his listed form not looking that great, so bigger dangers could come from Windshear and Clever Cookie. Windshear is perhaps a bit quirky having finished 2nd in almost half of his career starts, and he has been a beaten favourite in four of his last eight starts. Clever Cookie improved throughout last year and was only beaten by two lengths in the Doncaster Cup. Soft ground is a huge positive for this runner and he remains the biggest danger to Tac De Boistron.
Look no further than stall 1 in Friday’s opener
The action gets underway with a 7.5 furlong handicap that has a very open look about it. Brazos looks very interesting from stall 1 with the addition of first time blinkers. He had an official rating as high as 109 last season with arguably his best run coming when third in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes, and he runs here off 101 with Louis Steward claiming 3lbs. Considering his best form has come over 7f with cut in the ground, his 9th place in the Spring Cup was highly promising on good to firm ground, he only weakened late on but still beat 13 other runners.
Newstead Abbey is another who will enjoy conditions, has good course form and he can give the selection most to do.
Grissom the value play against Intisaab
The 4:20 seems to revolve around David O’Meara’s Intisaab, who is looking to complete a hat trick. He’s only up 2lbs for his latest win and is probably still ahead of the handicapper, but the form hasn’t really worked out from either of his victories so far, so he’s not one to be backing at restrictive odds.
Opposition may be a bit thin on the ground though. Can’t Change It has questions to answer having disappointed on his final start last season, Tagula Night is well handicapped but better over shorter and Showboating is very hard to win with.
Grammercy is interesting but he’s improved for his first run in recent seasons so might need this, and that makes Grissom the selection. Well berthed in stall 4, he didn’t run much of a race on his seasonal reappearance at Newcastle last month but he had been off since June last year so is entitled to have needed that. What’s more, it’s worth noting he was second in this race last year off a 5lb higher mark from stall 10. On his penultimate start he wasn’t far behind the likes of Tatlisu (now almost 20lbs higher), Muthmir (21lbs higher) and Kimberella (won comfortably next time out). That was over 6f on good to firm ground but he’s previously run well over 7f on soft ground.
