Richard Fahey Column: Horse-by-horse guide to Chester team
Wednesday 6 May 2015 17:44, UK
Our star columnist Richard Fahey with a horse-by-horse guide to his team for the second day of Chester's May meeting.
We start on Thursday with a runner in the opening IG Handicap.
We’ve been very happy with Gabrial’s Kaka at home this spring but a little disappointed with his efforts on the track. For me he has to prove he stays 10 furlongs and is posted a little wider than ideal. Jamie Spencer will drop him in from there and it’d be no surprise to see him bounce back, providing he stays.
Our Gabrial won at the Shergar Cup last year but needs to be at his very best to be competitive on his reappearance over a trip that’s possibly a bit sharp.
The Betfair Huxley Stakes looks a tough race for Gabrial. He’s been placed at up to a mile-and-a-half before, but it’s at the back of my mind that a mile is his best trip rather than this 10 furlongs - however the horse is in great form.
Billy Slater has had a few little problems and I’m worried he might just need the run in the Boodles Diamond Handicap. He’s not a bad horse and is capable of being competitive. I just hope he’s fit enough.
Young John ran okay at Chelmsford first time and has his second start in the T&L Leasing EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes. Five furlongs around here might be sharp enough for him but he’ll be coming home strongly.
Johnny B Goode is a good, hardy, pro and is exactly what you see on the tin. He has a bit of form on soft ground but needs a lifetime best to win the Betway Handicap. Arguably Steve Prescott is a better horse on a straight track but Marwan loves runners here and he’s a capable of going well.
Finally we have three in the closing Investec Asset Finance Handicap. Postcript is up in trip for his first run for us and we’ve been happy enough with how he’s been going at home.. However I haven’t been able to form a strong opinion over whether he’s going to stay or not so it’s a watching brief with him.
Mica Mika is in great form right now but is drawn wider than I’d like and, on his work at home, Modernism is probably the pick of my three. He is going really well ahead of his first run for the yard and I hope he transfers what he has been showing me to the track.
