Saturday 11th January
5.00 Chelmsford - Nordic Glory 9/2 / Cut To The Chase 3/1 / Poetic Jack 4/1 (Singles & Combination FC)
Three for me in te lucky last at Chelmsford , if one wins a small profit and probably a small combination forecast although im not too confident about that if im being honest. Nordic Glory comes out tops by my ratings , been in great form lately , since July hes been there or thereabouts in all eight of his runs - 2,4,3,3,1,2,2,2 .. Made a nice return after 103 days off last time out when a half length second to Sisters In The Sky at Leafy , the fourth home in that race Mashaan went in at the next time of asking , and the fifth home ran a solid race in third. Yet to win here at Chelmsford , tenth on only start but that was back in 2021 so hopeful of a much better showing here today especially given his current form. Has won and placed over the distance , class no problem and has won off higher marks than todays. Looks decently berthed as well. Callum Shepherd in the plate for the first time and he has a 14.3% strike rate overall when riding here along with a healthy profit of +£73.33 , cant see him being far away when it matters. Cut To The Chase is another who arrives in solid looking form , last year he has seven runs with figures of - 7,2,3,2,10,1,3 .. Placed on sole start here back in September of last year over 7f , has run over todays trip the last twice at Newcastle resulting in a win and a second and i think he has every chance here today given that hes only had those two runs over 6f he could well have more to come over these sprint distances. Class , draw and mark all look okay to me , Richard Kingscote takes the ride for the first time , and he does well when coming here with a 15.6% strike rate overall and a tidy profit of +£26.02 , has a 13% strike rate in the last three weeks. Trainer Tony Carroll has a 23% strike rate over the past fortnight and i can see him going close. Lastly Poetic Jack , who like the other pair has been showing up well of late although his last time ninth looks bad on paper he did overcome a bad draw and only faded late on which could be down to the extra effort out into overcoming that draw , looks better drawn here and im hoping that he can be on the premises come the business end of things. Has placed over todays CD and won at the course , has won from higher than todays mark and has also won in the class so no concerns there , Sean Levey yet to win on the horse but has placed on him , has been riding well lately with a 17% strike rate in the last three weeks and trainer Robert Cowell sends just this one to the meeting which caught my eye , does well when sending them here with an overall strike rate of 12.4% and a profit of +£79.16. Can see him going well.
4.27 Chelmsford - Bernie The Bear 15/8
Bernie The Bear hasnt won for a while but it did catch my eye that it looks as though hes about due after two seconds , and last time out only got done on the line by a nose at Shuvvel and if replicating that run here then i think he can gain his first victory since December 2023. First time up at Chelmsford , but has gone well on the all weather so im not too worried about that tbh. Also caught my eye that trainer Linda Perratt sends just this one here this afternoon making him the longest traveller of the day and shes a shrewd judge and i cant see her sending him here for a day out , whilst Tommie Jakes in the saddle , yet to win on the horse but has placed on him five times , should make his presence felt.
3.15 Chelmsford - Amazonian Dream EW 12/1 (and combination forecast with We Never Stop & Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Open looking race this one i think and im gonna side with the attractively priced Amazonian Dream , who at the current 12/1 is worth an each way pop imho. Has been in decent form overall with two wins in his last three runs , a below par ninth of ten last time when seeking the hat trick but i can forgive him that i think. First time here at Chelmsford but is one from one on polytrack so hopefully there will be no issues with the surface , gets in on the same mark as last time and though he hasnt won from a mark this high i think he can make his presence felt given that hes been running in higher class races the last twice. Good record over todays distance and in todays class , looks decently drawn to me , trainer Rod Millman been in fine form lately with a 30% strike rate in the last couple of weeks , and he has a 14% strike rate when coming here to Chelmsford overall. Lewis Edmunds in the hot seat and he has a decent record on the horse with two wins and a place from his five rides and when teaming up with the trainer over the last three weeks they have a 25% strike rate. If on song i think he'll be bang there come the business end of things. Also gonna throw in We Never Stop who tops my ratings and Brooklyn Nine Nine who comes out third best in a combination forecast.
3.45 Newcastle - Streak Lightning 11/2 / Volenti 7/1 / Trais Flours 9/1 / Bobby Joe Leg 11/1 (Singles & Combination FC)
Only a nine runner race but im siding with four at the prices who i think can go well , also covering with a combination forecast. Firstly the two Ruth Carr runners , makes me think that she might want to win this with the two entered , firstly joint top weight Streak Lightning who has been in fair form lately not having seen outside of the first three home in his last three races - 3,3,2 .. alot to like about his last run when he was a decent second to the odds on Angel Of Antrim whose won since and has racked up a four win sequence , has a 50% strike rate here at Newcastle (win and place) with three wins and five places from his sixteen runs , no problem with class , draw looks fine and has won from higher marks than todays. For me everything looks good for a decent run being on the cards. Joanna Mason in the saddle and shes placed on the horse before and she does well here at Newcastle with a 10% strike rate and a profit of +£18.41 , whilst the trainers other runner Bobby Joe Leg has been running below par it has to be said but is an all weather specialist (seven wins and eight places over todays CD) so it'd be folly to write his chances off after a handful of poor runs , and at the weights i think he stands a decent chance of being there or thereabouts as hes won from higher marks than todays. James Sullivan in the saddle and he knows the horse well having won on him eight times and placed in a further eighteen. If finding his form i think he can be troubling the principals at a decent price. Trainer knows the time of day as ive said before and i respect anything she sends out. Volenti is the third on the list , been in decent form failing in his hat trick attempt last time out over a mile , caught my eye that the trainer has dropped him back to 7f for the first time since 2022 , and that may well pay off here. Seems to do well here with two wins and two places from his seven runs , bit of a concern that he hasnt won in the class or from a mark this high but at the price im willing to give him a go. Ben Haslam has just this one here today and hes enjoying a purple patch at the moment with a 33% strike rate in the last two weeks , and has a 12% strike rate at the course overall along with a profit of +£18.12. Andrew Mullen gets on well with the horse with three wins from his four rides to date and he has a 29% strike rate in the last twenty one days and when trainer and jockey have paired up over the same period they have a 20% strike rate. The last one i like is Trais Flours whose one from one over todays CD , been a little hit and miss but has won two from his last four here and the fact that trainer Linda Perratt sends just this one here this afternoon didnt go un noticed. Has won from higher marks than todays , class no problem and looks decently berthed to me , Kaiya Fraser takes a handy 3lb off and is one from one on the horse. Think he can go well.
Small interest ..
2.00 Newcastle - Sol Cayo / Midnight Lion / Lerwick (combination FC)
5.30 Wolverhampton - Van Zant EW 11/1 / Voltaic EW 12/1
12.55 Chelmsford - Seconds Out / Lovesick / Spirit Of Jura (combination FC)
1st / Poetic Jack 4/1 3rd (Singles & Combination FC) No luck with forecast (1st and 3rd)
