Steve Ryder's Saturday Racing Tips

The Donnacha O’Brien trained Shale (best priced at 14/1) won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on this weekend last year in what turned out to be a career best performance so far but she looks overpriced in the Matron Stakes this year. She has so far struggled this season but ran well to finish 4th in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes last time over 1m1f at the Curragh.

Shale gets her beloved fast ground in this race and it is also interesting that connections now fit her with first time cheekpieces in this race. She has been under pressure in her races a long way from the finish so the headgear should make the job of Gavin Ryan easier and I expect her to hit the frame with four places on offer.

The fact that Laneqash (best priced at 13/8) was third string on jockey bookings (until a NR) and was weak in the market out to 22/1 on his comeback just goes to show that connections were expecting him to need his first run for 294 days. He outran those odds though to finish 2nd in a strong renewal of the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury when only finding the filly Sacred too good.

Laneqash had previously been a high class two-year-old who only finished a head behind subsequent Royal Lodge winner New Mandate over this course and distance on only his second career start. He failed to cope with the heavy ground on his final start last season but has performed well on good ground on two other starts so the going is no concern for today. He is the choice of Jim Crowley today in this race over Danyah and should prove hard to beat in receipt of a handy weight-for-age allowance.

Course form is so important at a track like Chester so I am surprised that two-time course and distance winner Devious Angel (best priced at 11/2) is such a big price for this race. The Tom Dascombe trained filly has won four of her nine career starts so far including when making all over this course and distance on her penultimate start in a nursery off a mark of 84. The handicapper has raised the daughter of Cotai Glory 5lb for that 1 ¾ length victory but she looks sure to make a bold bid front the front again from Stall 1.

Devious Angel found listed company too hot last time but returning to lesser waters over a course and distance where she excels should mean she is hard to beat. The unexposed Instinctive Move looks the biggest danger for the in-form Clive Cox yard but I am hoping Hayley Turner nicks it from the front of Devious Angel.

Hurricane Lane is a worthy favourite for the final classic of the season but I feel the price discrepancy between himself and Mojo Star (best priced at 15/2) is too big. The pair met in the Epsom Derby where Mojo Star finished 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Hurricane Lane in 2nd with the Richard Hannon trained colt running on best of the two at the finish. The Godolphin runner emphatically reversed that form in the Irish Derby next time but Mojo Star was badly hampered during the race and lost all chance 2f out.

Connections decided to give Mojo Star a confidence boosting win at Newbury last time in maiden and that will hopefully put him spot on for this race. The long straight at Doncaster should suit the long-striding son of Sea The Stars and I will be shocked if he finishes out of the placings in this race.