2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips – DS
2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips
Day 1 didn’t exactly go to plan for us at Chester. The opener set up for a hold up sort, unfortunately James Doyle didn’t show any patience on our selection. The ground probably turned too soft for Navello but it suited Typewriter. She was well backed into 9s and she was arguably unlucky to only finish 3rd as the winner and runner up got first run on her. Russellinthebushes needed the run badly. We’ll try again tomorrow, check out our 2022 Chester Festival Thursday tips below.
1.30 – Stellar Sports Handicap (Class 2)
In 2021 I fancied Count D’Orsay to run big in this race. He did exactly that, staying on late for 2nd off 99 at odds of 14/1. Drawn in 6 that day, David Allan dropped him out and tried to pick up the frontrunners late on. He managed to reel everyone in apart from the winner Jabbarockie. Today he is drawn out in the car park in stall 10 but no matter where he was drawn he’d be dropped out and for this horse, a really strong pace is more important than his starting berth.
He should get a decent pace to aim at here. Look Out Louis, Night On Earth and King Of Stars all have plenty of early speed and Tim Easterby’s other two runners here, especially Bossipop, like to race prominently too. Count D’Orsay is the mount of stable jockey David Allan and he is now 5lbs lower than when beat in this race last season. Obviously, a bit of luck in running will be required given his run style but he shaped very well on his return at Pontefract and at 12/1, he is worth chancing e/w.
2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips: Count D’Orsay e/w @ 12/1
2.05 – Deepbridge Handicap (Class 2)
James Doyle gets the leg up on Bastogne here for David Evans and he could be worth a small e/w interest at around 16/1. This horse has won just one of his eight starts. That triumph came in a Leicester maiden (6f gd/fm) when James Doyle was on board for the first time. In seven starts since, this horse has run some super races in defeat and two of his best efforts came when Doyle was jocked up.
His 4th behind Modern Games off 83 at Doncaster was a solid run and that form is very strong. The winner was in off 90 and is now rated 114 after winning at the Breeders’ Cup. The runner up Sed Maarib was racing off 80 and he is now rated 94. His 1.25L 2nd behind Desert Angel at Newmarket looks alright now too. The winner was rated 83 at the time (Bastogne off 82) and he won off 90 last weekend.
David Evans’ charge did run poorly on his sole outing this season on the all-weather at Wolves (8.5f). I’m hoping that he needed that run and that perhaps the son of Holy Roman Emperor didn’t handle the surface. Returning to good, good to soft ground should be much more up his alley and Doyle has form figures of 152 when on board. On those runs at Donny and Newmarket, this horse looks potentially well treated off 85. At odds of 14/1, Bastogne can hopefully sneak into the frame.
2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips: Bastogne e/w @ 14/1 NB
2.40 – Dee Stakes (Listed)
Just six runners and not one of them double figures. With the rain that has fallen Cresta looks the most likely winner but I’m not going to get involved. No bet.
2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips: No bet
3.10 – Chester Vase (Group 3)
The one I like in this race is Thunderous for the Johnston’s and Chester specialist Franny Norton. Rated 108, this son of Night Of Thunder should relish this step up to 13.5f. This fella won four of his five starts as a 2yo, including a Listed heat at Newbury (7f sft) and a Group 2 at York (10f gd/sft). His 3yo season never really got off the ground but he did run a couple of very good races when he had an ease in the ground.
His 4L 2nd to Al Aasy at Newbury in May was a more than decent effort. On his final run of 2021 he ran in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes and he again was far from disgraced in 4th. Thunderous got outpaced in that Ascot race before staying on again late in the day. He had Albaflora 0.5L behind, Japan 1.75L behind and he wasn’t that far behind G1 winners Broome and Wonderful Tonight.
He must be forgiven a below par return at Newbury but he went without the blinkers he wore for the first time when running so well in the Hardwicke and they are back on today. The ground was possibly a bit lively for him too at Newbury. Today’s conditions will be perfect, he has already beaten the fav Albaflora and at odds of 12/1, he looks a solid each way bet.
2022 Chester Festival Thursday Tips: Thunderous e/w @ 12/1 NAP
3.40 – Boodles Handicap (Class 3)
At huge odds, Lunar jet has a good enough record around here to warrant a small e/w bet. Now trained by Mick Mullineaux, this fella ran three superb races for his former trainer John Mackie at Chester. On his first visit in September 2018 (10.5f gd/sft) he was beat 1L off 83. Over a furlong further he was only beat 2L into 2nd by Infrastructure off a mark of 93. Then, at this meeting last season, he ran a storming race to finish 4th, just 2L behind the winner Dark Pine off a mark of 93.
He stayed on pleasingly for 6th at Doncaster on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster (10f gd). The return to softer ground will be a huge positive for this son of Ask and he is 10lbs lower than when beat 2L here last season.
He is drawn 14, obviously not ideal on this track. However, he can be ridden patiently and he was drawn 10/11 on his first visit when he finished 2nd. Jimmy Quinn has won on him three times before and surely he’ll be trying his best given how well he has run here in the past. Lunar Jet isn’t one for maximum stakes but at 40/1, a small e/w interest is advised.
