Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Chepstow

Leg 1 Selections: Age Of Sail 

Gary Moore sends just the one runner to the Welsh venue today, AGE OF SAIL, who was the best of these on the Flat and ran very well on his final start in that sphere last month. His trainer is in good form and this interesting runner is sure to have been well prepared ahead of his hurdles debut here. With a fluent round of jumping, he could have too many gears for his rivals in the opener. 

Leg 2 Selections: El Presente, Kitty’s Light 

Kim Bailey and David Bass have their only runner and ride on the card in this race with EL PRESENTE, who has a fair each-way chance at the weights on his return here. He couldn’t defend his title in the Badger Beer Chase when last spotted but still ran well to finish fifth and his fourth in the Bet365 Gold Cup off a two pounds higher mark is a high-quality piece of form. 

He’s twice finished in front of KITTY’S LIGHT now on worse terms and conditions will be right up his street here, so he makes a lot of appeal at value odds. The latter went mightily close in this race twelve months ago and went on to make the frame in several more valuable handicaps, including Scottish National and Bet365 Gold Cup. He has dropped a pound since last time and goes well fresh, so he’s a huge player. 

Leg 3 Selections: Victorias Secret, Sebastopol

The Tom Lacey-trained SEBASTOPOL is the only one of these with chase experience and represents last year’s winning stable in this race. He’s a class act on his day and has winning form at this course, so he’s definitely the one to beat. However, it is interesting to see VICTORIAS SECRET thrown into the deep end on her chase debut after just two hurdle starts and won very easily over hurdles last time. She is likely to get a soft lead and appeals as the type to jump very well here, so the seven-year-old should make an impact with fitness on her side. 

Leg 4 Selections: Light N Strike 

LIGHT N STRIKE has won three of his eight starts in this sphere and ran a lot better then the beaten margin indicated when seventh in the Summer Plate when he was last spotted in this sphere. He’s been in good form over hurdles since and is the only one of the quartet with fitness on his side, while trainer Emma Lavelle has her team in good form too. With loads more to come back over the larger obstacles, and Tom Bellamy here for his only ride, this progressive six-year-old is strongly fancied to emerge as the winner here. 

Leg 5 Selections: Lord Baddesley, Broomfield Burg 

Chris Gordon runs two here but Tom Cannon has opted for LORD BADDESLEY, who ran a tremendous race to finish fourth of 14 to Glory And Fortune in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February and that is a key piece of form. He probably would have won last time but falling at a crucial stage of the race but he gets into this race on the same mark and has won twice after an absence previously, which bodes well for his chances. He’s a big player here.

BROOMFIELD BURG was behind the former in that big race at Newbury and is four pounds lower here. He isn’t the most straightforward but he’s talented and the fact that Jonjo O’Neill Jr. has chosen to ride him over Zabeel Champion, who he rode to victory last time, means a big run is anticipated. 

Leg 6 Selections: Too Friendly 

TOO FRIENDLY landed juvenile events at Stratford and Newcastle on first two starts over hurdles last term before performing with credit when fifth off this very mark in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival, in which he had Saint Segal held in behind. He wasn’t disgraced on his final start when fifth in a Grade 1 at Aintree and returns to handicaps in this much easier race off this realistic mark. The four-year-old is a strong-traveller, who should be well-suited to this course, must have major claims on his return, given he easily brings the best form to the table.