Good Afternoon,

To Chester & York...

First up, Sam Darby's 'Free Tips Friday' column can be found HERE >>>

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I've had some dabbles on the flat today and I hope they run better than yesterday's Worcester pick, she ran ok to a point but ultimately wasn't good enough, no excuses there.

2.25 York -

Mrbluesky- 15/2 EW (4p bet365/sky, if you have them)

4.10 York -

Reach - 13/2 - EW 5p (next best)

Oviedo - 10/1 - EW 5p

5.10 Chester -

Colorada Dancer (Nap)

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3.25 Chest - I've thrown beer money at Double Jump 14s+ on nose just to scratch an itch.

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Some logic...

Mr BlueSky... Fahey has x12 runners across York/Chester today, evenly split, yet his main man, Oisin Orr is at York, we shall see for which one! Silly to dive into a 2YO race but I don't think it's overly strong, yard flying, and he ran ok on debut, 5f, well, rushed off his feet, out the back, but showed a likeable attitude having watched it, ears back, head down, picked up and stayed on ok, a chance 2nd start, 6f, he could transform in an open race on paper. He's related to stayers so may want even further. He won't mind any rain if LTO is to go by. 15/2 looked a solid enough price to my eyes, one of those races mind.

4.10 - Reach - obvious enough but I though may be a bit shorter, yet to be out the places in 3 runs around here, last two over CD inc her return run, 4/11,8p in career evidently she's tough and a trier. I don't think she'll mind any rain, stays further and IF running her race here I'd be shocked were she out the x5

Oviedo - yard in fine form, hoping he needed his return around Chester which wouldn't have suited. Jockey in fine form and rides this place fairly well. Last seen running two stormers in very very deep heritage handicaps, finishing off in Cambridgeshire, 34 runners, 4th, winning his side. Off 1lb lower, some effort as a 3YO. He really could come into his own again...he was a very good juvenile/early last season, highly tried, C1 efforts in solid G3s/listed, outclassed. Of course that means he's on a high mark for handicaps but he brings class to the table.

Ground the Q and if they get too much more rain, if this were GF he'd be a 5s shot, maybe he'll struggle, and plod home, but it's more an unknown, early form on soft, sires generally handly everything. We shall see, I though a big price for a dabble, nothing in here could match those last 2 runs last season

Chester - Colarada Dancer - has to go close here, a very good 2YO in some deep races which suggest to me he's going to decimate 78 as a 3YO at some point, hopefully here. Whatever he does put in tracker as if he's trained on, 2YO form suggests could be worth following, just has to win again at some point. Signed off with a maiden win at York, returned 20 days ago over 10f, didn't appear to stay, but ran as if needing it. David Nolan jumps back on, only jockey to win on him, that looks significant. 2/10,4p +16 on Faheys around here last 2 years, yard flying obv, best form I can remember, maybe for 5 years. Fahey does well around here. Drawn well in 3, can track the pace, Chester an unknown but 4s looked big to my eyes, don't think anything in here can match his 2YO form

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Double Jump... well I'm not convinced he'll stay but it's 'doing something different' as a reason for improvement, he may well want cut. Again, some very good 2YO form which makes me think he's well handicapped/more wins as a 3YO, maybe when back at Donny. Still, he's looked a bit outpaced the last twice, they crawled at Ascot which didn't help, looked like he was in a muck sweat pre race, ignore. This will tell us more, may want 8f/soft. He will pop up one day.

Paul Mulrennan (evidently not everyone's cup of tea!) Rides this place well, all Chester handicaps last 5 years, 6/26, 11p, +12. A jockey to keep onside.

I pondered Amancio also but thought may not be good enough up in class, I could be wrong!

But Jack Channon going well, worth noting more generally, 4/20,8p last 14...

And does well with David Probert, 11/33, 14p, +45 SP together since Jack took over licence from his dad. Some nice priced winners, the sort of TJC that flies under radar, Probert under appreciated.

I'll either be bouncing into the pub at 6pm in a good mood with money to buy a round, or sulking my way there, to have a commiseration drink!

However, even if they all fall out the back of the TV, do track Colorada Dancer and Double Jump, if today isn't the day, as I'm convinced they've got handicap wins in them.

If you like your stats etc, do note the Channon/Probert combo in handicaps, I suspect that will keep throwing up winners as the season goes on. And do note Mulrennan's stats around Chester also.

As always, use, abuse, or ignore as you please!

All the best

Josh