Racecards
14:45 Chelmsford City
Bet totetrifecta At totesport.com Handicap (Class 2)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 1m 6f
- Going: Standard
- Surface: Polytrack
- £50,000 added
- Winner: £31,125
- 2nd: £9,320
- 3rd: £4,660
- 4th: £2,330
Elegiac
8- Form 1-20131
- Age 3
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey F Norton
always close up, ridden over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
- Form 6-12214
- Age 3
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer Sir Mark Prescott
- Jockey L Morris
held up, headway on inside over 2f out, ridden and stayed on final furlong
Mekong
38- Form 64-172
- Age 3
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- Jockey Jim Crowley
pressed leader going well, led well over 1f out, ridden inside final furlong, stayed on
- Form 221
- Age 3
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 85
- Trainer J & T Gosden
- Jockey R Havlin
held up in touch, weakened well over 1f out
- Form 321141
- Age 3
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 85
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey J F Egan
held up in rear, headway over 2f out, soon ridden, stayed on same pace final furlong
- Form 423222
- Age 3
- Weight 8-8
- Official Rating 82
- Trainer A M Balding
- Jockey Joshua Bryan
led, ridden and headed well over 1f out, soon weakened
- Form 40-0231
- Age 3
- Weight 8-6
- Official Rating 80
- Trainer R M Beckett
- Jockey Nicola Currie
held up, pushed along well over 3f out, soon struggling
In depth
Verdict
None can be dismissed out of hand but it could pay to stick with SACRED PATH. She beat little over a similar trip here in maiden company but did so by 11 lengths and the Gosden filly makes her handicap debut. Mekong finished runner-up over 1m4f at Salisbury and can figure but Rude Awakening was upped 10lb for winning at Doncaster earlier and struggled last time. Elegiac won at Newmarket last week and is preferred to stablemate Bayshore Freeway, who scored at Bath recently, while Chester runner-up King Lud makes more appeal than Zilara in this grade.
Formwatch
Elegiac 8-11fav (9-9) Tracked leader, led over 1f out, pushed out(hand time)stalls not used, won at Newmarket 1m 4f hcp (3) sft in Jul beating Blue Laureate (9-2) by 1 1/2l, 3 ran.
Rude Awakening 9-2 (8-12) In touch, ridden 3f out, headway on outer over 1f out, one pace final furlong, 4th of 11, 5 1/4l behind Making Miracles (8-13) at Haydock 1m 6f hcp (2) gf in Jul.
Mekong 10-3 (9-2) Led, ridden 2f out, headed just inside final furlong, stayed on, 2nd of 6, 1 1/4l behind Infrastructure (9-1) at Salisbury 1m 4f hcp (3) gf in Jun.
Sacred Path 2-9fav (8-12) Tracked leader, led after 4f, made rest, pushed readily clear over 2f out, unchallenged after, very easily, won at Chelmsford City 1m 5f mdn stks (5) pol in Jul beating Via Delle Volte (8-12) by 11l, 8 ran.
Bayshore Freeway (IRE) 1-2fav (9-2) Led sole rival, joined 3f out, driven and headed inside final 2f, rallied to regain lead inside final furlong, ridden out, won at Bath 1m 4f hcp fll (3) fm in Jul beating Cubswin (9-8) by 1 1/4l, 2 ran.
King Lud 13-8fav (9-1) Keen led after 1f out, ridden over 1f out, headed towards finish, 2nd of 5, 3/4l behind Midnight Wilde (8-13) at Chester 1m 6f hcp (3) gd in Jul.
Zilara (IRE) 8-1 (9-0) Slowly into stride, mid-division, headway over 4f out, chased leaders over 2f out, switched right to challenge over 1f out, led inside final furlong, stayed on strongly, won at Wolverhampton 1m 4f hcp (5) pol in Jul beating Refrain (8-6) by 1 1/4l, 9 ran.