Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Chepstow

Leg 1 Selections: Press Your Luck

Chris Gordon has his team in very good form at the moment and I really like his chasing debutant PRESS YOUR LUCK in the opener, who progressed through the ranks over hurdles last term. He won back-to-back events earlier this year, including a valuable pot at Kempton, which has thrown up multiple winners since. The second, Paddy’s Motorbike, and the third, Annsam, both went and won valuable pots off marks of 131, while other subsequent winners emerged from the race, so the form is solid. Flash Collonges and Art Approval ran poorly last time and appear to be regressive, whereas the former is going the right way, so this is a real good chance for the seven-year-old to establish himself as a smart chaser this year and make a successful chase debut. 

Leg 2 Selections: The Mighty Don, Forgot To Ask

Some Chaos won this race twelve months ago and is well-treated but this is a deeper renewal and I like two against him. Firstly, THE MIGHTY DON, who’s won over course-and-distance in the past and has fallen to a tempting mark. All of his best form has come on good ground and the last time he encountered fast ground, he finished a close second to Yala Enki in a Grade Three at Cheltenham off a five-pounds higher mark. 

He tends to hit a flat spot during his races but when he’s on-song, he’s a good horse on his day and given he has a lot in his favour here, such as his attractive mark, course winning form and form at a higher level with conditions perfect to suit, hopefully all of these contributing factors will materialise with success for the first time since winning here two years ago. 

Tom George is another trainer in decent form at the moment and his FORGOT TO ASK shouldn’t be ruled out at decent odds. This ten-year-old remains on a career-high mark but he’s generally consistent and won nicely at Stratford on his penultimate start. He wasn’t beaten far off top-weight last time at Perth and he has a good record on good ground. He is sure to get a strong pace to aim at with the likes of Some Chaos expected to go forward and this course should suit, so he gets the alternative vote. 

Leg 3 Selections: Gentle Connections 

The feature race of the day and while Dan Skelton has the favourite in the form of the unbeaten hurdler Quid Pro Quo, I like his stablemate GENTLE CONNECTIONS at huge odds. She completed a four-timer at Newton Abbot last time in good style and although this will be a whole different ball game to anything she’s tackled before, her slick jumping and strong-travelling style of racing from the front will see her go well here. 

Lorcan Williams is an excellent rider, who’s been booked to ride, and this five-year-old mare gets all the allowances in this race. She won’t be hindered by the drop in distance, as she’s likely to go forward and ultimately comes out best at the weights, so at double-figure odds, she makes a lot of sense from a betting perspective here. This will obviously be her toughest test to date but she might outrun her ludicrous odds with plenty more to come. 

Leg 4 Selections: Collectors Item 

This race should prove informative and COLLECTORS ITEM is related to some really nice types, including Royal Kahala, and showed plenty of promise when half-a-length second in a Newbury bumper on his rules debut back in March. The form looks really solid as the horse back in third, Hardy Fella, who was well held, ran well when fourth in a hot bumper at Cheltenham (only just behind Aucunrisque). He should take all the beating on his hurdles debut and get the better of the argument with Hugo’s New Horse.

Leg 5 Selections: Desert Fortune 

Christian Williams’ DESERT FORTUNE ran a fine race when runner-up in a bumper at Plumpton on rules debut to Presenting A Queen. She travelled just as well as the winner throughout and was briefly held in a pocket on the home turn which slightly checked her momentum. She forced her way through when a tiny gap appeared and threw down a strong challenge to the eventual winner, only losing out by a length at the finish. I think this mare will reverse the form now faced with a set of obstacles, as she looks a really nice prospect for her local trainer.  

Leg 6 Selections: Nina The Terrier 

Alan King’s six-year-old NINA THE TERRIER won her first three starts over hurdles last year, which included a win at this course before completing her hat-trick in a class two event at Newbury. She would have taken her hurdles record to four-from-four without falling at the last hurdle in a Listed event back at Newbury next time but she proved none the worse for that mishap when half-a-length second in another Listed event next time. 

She wasn’t disgraced in a couple of Grade Two events the next twice, including at the Cheltenham Festival, and was last seen finishing a length second in a Grade Two back at Newbury. She’s two-from-two returning from an absence of five months plus, will handle the ground, has the course winning form and her trainer is amongst the winners. Furthermore, this is a huge drop in grade, so she gets a confident vote to make a winning return to action here.