Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Chepstow

Leg 1 Selections: Out Of Office 

OUT OF OFFICE made a promising start to his hurdles career when a keeping-on fourth over course-and-distance last month and that form has already worked out strongly given the winner has gone in again since. 

Evan Williams’ charge will have learnt a lot from that experience and will be wiser to the task in hand in this race. He looks more trustworthy than the favourite but even if the favourite wins, it is difficult to see him out of the frame here. 

Leg 2 Selections: Saint Davy, Russian Ruler 

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained SAINT DAVY won his sole point and easily landed his rules debut in October in a Carlisle bumper event when beating a dual subsequent winner. He is now switched to hurdles and rates an interesting prospect with a bright future ahead of him. This is a warm race to make his hurdles debut but he is held in quite high esteem by connections and should go very well if his jumping passes the test. 

RUSSIAN RULER looked set to win very comfortably at Newbury last time, only to weaken quite quickly into third once his lack of a run told after the final flight. He will be a much fitter horse this time round and that form is probably the best on offer. Nicky Henderson’s charge is open to plenty more improvement and should last longer here at the business end with that run under his belt which might be enough to see him open his account in this sphere. 

Leg 3 Selections: Silver Hallmark, Golden Whisky

SILVER HALLMARK won a Grade Two in this sphere last year and while he hasn’t stood much racing since, he should be a lot fitter from his return run over hurdles at Carlisle. He is clearly fragile but has a lot of talent and will be suited to these conditions. He has fallen to a really dangerous mark over fences, so if his shrewd handler has him spot-on for today’s assignment, which is highly likely, he could go well at large odds. 

GOLDEN WHISKY was well beaten on his return but he’s two-pounds lower than when winning this quite comfortably last year and sneaks into this year’s renewal off bottom-weight plus Adam Wedge maintains the partnership too. It is possible the first-time cheekpieces will have a positive outcome, so if he is back to anything near his best, Evan Williams’ charge could make a bold bid to try and follow-up last year’s success. 

Leg 4 Selections: Perseus Way, Spartan Army

This race has unfortunately lost its Grade 1 status but this year’s race is still a quality field with plenty to consider. I am keen to take on the favourite here with two other participants who hold equally good chances. 

The Moore’s took this last year with Porticello and they have a good chance this time around with PERSEUS WAY, who easily landed the odds last time at Leicester having shaped well when second to Scriptwriter on hurdles debut at Cheltenham. He could reverse the form on five-pound better terms, especially with improvement to come in the jumping department.

SPARTAN ARMY won very comfortably on his hurdles debut at Wetherby and is open to further improvement for the Alan King team. The way he went about his business the last day was impressive and this track should suit. He could easily make his mark at this better level and is selected to potentially get involved, though it would come as no surprise to see both Scriptwriter and Comfort Zone make the frame. 

Leg 5 Selections: Just A Dime, Flementide

The Ben Clarke-trained JUST A DIME beat FLEMENSTIDE at Exeter back in March and the former ran a very solid when runner-up on his return at Carlisle last month, which should have teed him up nicely for this race. He travelled best of all on his return that day and the return to this longer trip can only be seen as a positive. He remains unexposed, should be suited to the long home straight and has excellent claims with a lot more to offer under rules. 

The latter, however, trained by Paul Nicholls, won at Ascot and Exeter last year and ran a solid race in defeat to Just A Dime last-time-out in cheekpieces. He has work to do to reverse the form but meets that rival on better terms. He makes his handicap debut off a lenient-looking mark of 122 and goes well fresh, so his fitness is unlikely to be an issue in this race. The seven-year-old could be set to make a serious impact on his return here. 

Leg 6 Selections: The Big Breakaway, Truckers Lodge 

THE BIG BREAKAWAY can race very lazy but he’s a good jumper, who has been aimed at this race for a while, and has often left the impression this sort of stamina test would suit. He went very close on his return last-time-out and whilst he is four-pounds higher in this race, he will be a lot fitter and his mark is surely exploitable given his classy novice chase form, which included a second in a Grade One at last year’s Christmas Festival at Kempton. 

TRUCKERS LODGE has been second, seventh and third in the last three Welsh Nationals and finds himself nine-pound lower than twelve months ago. Paul Nicholls’ strong stayer is sure to leave last month’s reappearance behind him and has Freddie Gingell in the saddle again, who offsets seven valuable pounds. He is back on his last winning mark, is ground-versatile and has solid claims of at least making the frame in this race again with plenty in his favour.