Chepstow Saturday Preview - 09/01/21

The first selection from us at Chepstow on Saturday comes in the Class 2 Handicap Chase over 2m3f and the horse that takes the eye is Cepage.

The Venetia Williams trained gelding is a very likeable horse that is usually seen at Cheltenham having ran there on his last five outings.

All needing to bounce back from his seasonal debut when being pulled up in the Caspian Caviar, he is a horse with bundles of potential that is back at a trip he can attack the field from the front.

He is proven on very soft ground so should handle the conditions and now at the same handicap mark of that od his last win in January at Cheltenham, he looks the one to beat.

The three mile Handicap Hurdle contest sees some familiar faces taking to the track and the horse we are siding with is Farrants Way.

The seven year old gelding for trainer Venetia Williams is a very lightly raced horse for his age only being seen five times in his career, but most of his runs have been to a high standard.

He acts as the horse to beat in this race off the back of his seasonal debut at Sandown when a good third on heavy ground at Sandown behind Portrush Ted.

He needs to reverse the form with Storm Arising, but racing off the same mark and getting weight off most of the field makes him one to watch.

Gary Moore seems to have acquired another superstar over hurdles this season with Nassalam and with the rescheduling of Chepstow's Welsh National meeting being put back to Saturday, it has allowed him to strengthen the juvenile and put him back into this event after being initially taken out back in December.

The gelding looks to be a very exciting recruit for the yard, being regarded as the next Goshen by many experts in the industry and on Saturday he can back those claims up when stepping up for his first taste of black type racing.

The gelding moved over to England during the Summer and was given to Gary Moore after being bought by John Stone after finishing second in a conditions hurdles event at Clairefontaine.

Since moving over to England, the son of Dream Well is unbeaten on both starts to date, having ran twice in two Juvenile Hurdle events and landing them by a combined 108 lengths, something similarly achieved by his stablemate.

Having landed his first event by 59 lengths, he stepped out at again over the same course and distance at Fontwell and managed to again be a long distanced winner.

He steps up for his first taste of black type racing in this event but looks the pick of the bunch on raw ability.

The Harry Fry trained Ask Me Early is our penultimate selection of the meeting and the seven year old if running to form should go close.

The gelding is lightly raced for his age only being seen five times in his career and seems to like this track racing here twice and both to a good standard.

He made his seasonal debut at Ffos Las over 2m4f in a maiden hurdle and finished a good third behind a nice horse for Paul Nicholls.

He came on for that run last time out when stepping up to three miles on heavy ground and relished the conditions to get off the mark for the season on chase debut.

He took to fences straight away and is weighted to go well again.

The rescheduled Welsh Grand National is one of the spectacles of the day at Chepstow and with so many runners heading to post we have two nicely priced each way selections.

The first is the Tom George trained Springfield Fox, who is a horse that you definitely want on side in these types of races being an out and out stayer.

The eight year old has been highly consistent during his career not finishing outside the top two on five of his last six races.

Although flopping at the Cheltenham festival in March 2020, his performances before that were very good and on his seasonal this term he gave a pleasing run that he will certainly come on for.

A staying trip is what he revels in and he has previous form winning on heavy ground.

At a bigger price and again in the category of out and out stayer is the David Pipe trained Ramses De Teillee who has not been as consistent this season, but still has a big run in him and is 16/1 because of that.

The gelding has been a superb yardstick for the Pipe yard, running over both hurdles and fences frequently, with his last two runs coming over the biggest obstacles.

The grey truly showed how smart he can be two starts ago when beating rival in this race Yala Enki over 3m3f at Cheltenham in a Grade Three Handicap Chase.

Set to run another big race, the gelding fell short at Aintree in the Becher Chase never getting into a jumping rhythm and finishing a weak seventh.

However, we feel you can put that run down to a blip and having finished second in this race two years ago he is worth another go only 4lb higher than his last winning mark.