After a 6/1 place yesterday, Steve Ryder is back with three tips for today's action.
13:30 Bath
Despite a similar selection running poorly yesterday, I feel GORDONS AURA (best priced at 9/4) is worth backing on his handicap debut up in trip. The Sir Mark Prescott trained gelding finished 5th, 9th and 7th on his first three career starts when sent off 66/1, 150/1 and 18/1 over seven furlongs and a mile but now steps up in trip to 1m6f on his handicap debut.
Gordons Aura has been given an opening handicap mark of 66 and he should prove better than that mark on his first run for 224 days. Course and distance winner Hidden Depths looks the biggest danger to the selection but he is a lot more exposed than the three-year-old and I expect Gordons Aura to show huge improvement.
18:20 Chelmsford
The Richard Hughes trained KARIBANA (best priced at 3/1) has a great record at Chelmsford with form figures of 213321 in his career including a win over this course and distance last month. The five-year-old gelding won off a mark of 91 over 7f here in May 2021 before placing off marks of 93 and 94 later that year.
Karibana reappeared from a 53 day break to finish 2nd over 7f here before winning over a mile in first time blinkers last month off a mark of 89. The handicapper has raised Karibana 4lbs for that 1 ½ length success and he should prove hard to beat if the blinkers work for a second time.
20:50 Chelmsford
The Michael Appleby trained SIR GREGORY (best priced at 4/1) won over this course and distance in April and he should prove hard to beat off a 5lb higher mark. The four-year-old gelding won over 6f here in April off a mark of 57 by 1 ¾ lengths before finishing a close 2nd over 5f off a mark of 62 on his next start.
Sir Gregory has slightly disappointed on his last two starts but they were on the turf at Nottingham and he will now appreciate the switch back to the AW. A mark of 62 is within reach and Theodore Ladd, who rode him to his previous success over this course and distance, is back on board. Connections fit Sir Gregory with first time cheekpieces for this race and he should prove hard to beat from Stall 3.
