Chester tips for Thursday: Time to go Above N Beyond
David Metcalf | May 5, 2016
Above N Beyond holds all the aces
Above N Beyond caught the eye on seasonal reappearance and can take advantage of a drop in class to land the 7f handicap on day two of the May Festival at Chester (15.45).
Trained locally by Tom Dascombe, the colt showed progressive form in four runs as a juvenile last season and came good at the third time of asking when making all to score easily by 3 1/4 lengths in a 12-runner maiden at Kempton.
The runner-up, fourth and fifth have all come out and won since to give the form a rock solid look, and Above N Beyond went on to round-off the campaign with an excellent second in a Listed contest at Doncaster.
Above N Beyond again attempted to make all, and after being headed approaching the final furlong stuck to the task well to be beaten 1 3/4 lengths.
It was a really solid effort against a rival rated 102, and the form of the race reads well in the context of this contest.
Ideal draw from which to attack
Above N Beyond also comes into the contest having shaped well when a 3 3/4 length sixth of 11 to Haalick in a Listed affair at Lingfield, showing plenty of pace to track the leader until weakening late.
That should put the three-year-old spot on for this, and a mark of 95 looks exploitable now that he has his sights lowered and tackles handicap company for the first time.
Another plus is that Above N Beyond has bagged the ideal draw in stall one from which to attack, and with Richard Kingscote in the saddle everything points to a huge run.
Sennockian Star weighted to go well
In the 1m 2f handicap that opens proceedings (14.10), Sennockian Star looks decent each-way value.
The Mark Johnston trained gelding is a dual winner at the track, and his last success came over course and distance 11 months ago when beating Spirit Of The Law by 1 3/4 lengths off a mark of 93.
Sennockian Star went on to finish an excellent 1/2 length second of 13 to Mahsoob in the Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot off 98, and the winner is a classy sort who has gone on to taste success in Group 3 company and is now rated 116.
That is very strong form, and the six-year-old is now able to race off his last winning mark of 93 having been dropped a further 2lb since being well-beaten on reappearance at Epsom on unsuitable soft ground.
It gives Sennockian Star major claims from a handicapping perspective, and with underfoot conditons now ideal it would be no surprise to see him put in a much improved showing at a track which clearly suits.
Selections:
14.10: Sennockian Star (E/W)
14.40: Western Hymn (NB)
15.10: US Army Ranger
15.45: Above N Beyond (NAP)
16.20: Mehmas
16.55: Alsaaden
17.25: Emirates Airline
Related
For more tips and race previews from Chester’s May Festival, check out our horse racing section.
