The Sunday Series goes to Chelmsford for seven live races on ITV on Sunday. Matty Sutcliffe has three selections for you to follow on the day.
3:45 Chelmsford – Enter ITV7 For Free Apprentice Handicap (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-85) – Ararat 1pt WIN
ARARAT was a bet for the column on his second start for Robert Cowell last time out, but he failed to maintain a prominent position early on and weakened out of contention early enough on unfavourable rain-softened going.
While he still requires a little faith on the back of those latest two efforts, he’s dropped backed to his last winning mark which came in a class two here over seven furlongs here last August, and the form of that has worked out well with the third now rated 17lbs higher.
The form of his Wolverhampton two length fifth has worked out too with the winner now rated 11lbs higher, and he’s well birthed in stall one to adopt his preferred front running tactics if sharp enough away.
Brandon Wilkie takes his first ride for the yard, and he rides Chelmsford very well with his record standing at 18-5-3 over the last 12 months.
4:15 Chelmsford – Sky Bet Club Restricted Maiden Stakes (For Horses In Bands C And D) (GBB Race) (Class 5) (2yo) – Athena’s Fortune 1pt WIN
Stuart Williams has won this race twice in the last four renewals with horses previously beaten eight lengths and nine lengths on turf/debut, and he also had one go close (met trouble in running) in the race last season at 22/1, so Kodi Bear filly ATHENA’S FORTUNE is taken to step forward from her Newmarket sixth of eleven in a 15k contest that looked significantly stronger than this one.
The front two in that race pulled well clear of the third there, and Athena’s Fortune was well looked after having initially travelled well into the contest, before weakening late on. She’s a half sister to a winner on the all-weather with the pair from a US bred dam-line including 2022 Falmouth winner Prosperous Voyage so she’s bred to appreciate this surface for a yard whose record in non-handicaps here last season read 12-4-8.
5:15 Chelmsford – Sky Bet Price Boosts Handicap (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-88) – Nibras Angel 1pt WIN
NIBRAS ANGEL was a huge eye-catcher at Kempton on yard debut last time out from a 189 day break when shaping as if in need of the run, and if coming on for that then she’s likely to show up well from a pound lower.
The daughter of Harry Angel looked something potentially out of the ordinary when landing her first two starts for Ismail Mohammed in 2023, but her limitations were somewhat exposed in better company thereafter.
She spent last winter in Meydan and was rarely disgraced, finishing a length third off a mark of 89 before beaten four and five lengths in two G2 races over a mile, finishing a nose behind the former Fred Darling second on the first effort. She looked to be coming back to the boil when beaten three lengths off a mark of 90 at Newbury in a 0-90 last June having suffered for room on the rail, and she put in a similar performance at Newmarket when beaten three lengths into third on unfavourable rain-softened ground.
She’s dropped 11lbs lower than her peak mark from last season, and the switch to Alice Haynes can only be a positive as documented by her staying on fourth last time out. Finley Marsh takes the ride, and his expertise around Chelmsford can only be a positive.
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