Steve Ryder Thursday Racing Tips

The David Bridgewater trained DAME DU SOIR (best priced at 9/2) won this race by 6 ½ lengths last season and she should hold strong claims again this year off a 2lb lower mark. The nine-year-old was raised 6lb for that victory and she ran well to finish 3rd on her next start off a mark of 126 at Newbury. 
Connections decided to go chasing this season where she has run with credit on both starts but Dame Du Soir now reverts to hurdling in an attempt to win this race for a second year in a row. She is also now fitted with first time cheekpieces which should mean she travels kinder throughout the race and it seems significant that Brendan Powell is also back on board for the first time since her victory in this race last year.

I am hopeful of a quick-fire David Bridgewater double at Chepstow and I feel DOM OF MARY (best priced at 11/8) should be able to get off the mark on his second start over hurdles. The six-year-old won an Irish PTP by eight lengths before winning a Fairyhouse bumper by 4 ¼ lengths when trained by Sam Curling. 

Dom Of Mary was then bought and transferred to the David Bridgewater stable where he made an encouraging hurdling debut on his reappearance when 4th behind Pull Again Green, Wonderwall and Shearer at Newbury. He appeared outpaced that day after 2m4f on good to soft ground and should be a lot better suited by the stamina test on heavy ground in this race. Crossing Lines looks the biggest danger following his Irish PTP win in late 2019 but it will take a good training performance following 760 days off the track to win so preference instead goes to Dom Of Mary.

The Neil Mulholland trained GARINCHA (best priced at 7/2) put in a huge career-best performance last time at Wetherby and a repeat of that effort should mean he is hard to beat in this race. The six-year-old was previously trained in Ireland and made a low key stable debut for the yard at Exeter on his reappearance when finishing 7th of 12. 

Garincha stepped forward from that run and ran out an impressive 4 ¾ length winner at Wetherby on soft ground on Boxing Day with the third a further 7 ½ lengths behind. The handicapper has raised him 10lb for that win but he instead runs here under a 7lb penalty so is 3lbs “well in” in this race and he should prove hard to beat under similar conditions.