Chester Racecourse Gears up for ‘The Friday Social’ with exciting seven-race lineup

Racing is back on the agenda at Chester on Friday with a seven-race card on offer for punters heading to the track.

Marketed as The Friday Social, racing gets underway at 1.40 with a ten runner handicap in class four and rounds off at 5.10 as 13 runners tackle the seven furlong handicap.

The opener (1.40) sees ten horses tackle the seven furlong trip for amateur jockeys. The prolific jockey Patrick Mullins, son of superstar trainer Willie Mullins, is a very eye-catching booking on board Red Mirage in race one, a winner at Catterick in April so is very much in the mix to improve on a disappointing sixth of seven at Leicester last time out.

Race two on the Chester card (2.15) is a class five handicap over the six furlong distance for three-year-olds, with 12 runners set to head to the stalls. The Richard Fahey-trained Quiet Resolve should be bang in there, dropping down in class after a stint in classes three and four and is in far more comfortable waters here. Of his rivals, Macanudo rates the main danger having been solid if unspectacular since switching to the turf from the all-weather but like Quiet Resolves, is down in class here.

A Selling Stakes is race three of the afternoon at 2.50 and a decent field of 12 will be taking part over the seven furlong trip. Duke Of Haather showed expected improvement when third at Newmarket last time out and is taken to get off the mark at the fourth attempt this week. Oasis Sunrise, for trainer Kevin Phillipart De Foy, is the chief threat being eased in grade after a fourth on debut at Chelmsford eight days ago.

The 1m3f class four handicap marks the midway point of the Friday card (3.25) and the Jack Channon-trained Amancio looks to have been missed by the handicapper, running here off the same mark when landing a clear second at Haydock last time out three weeks ago and has placed in each of his last three starts. Amancio is the one to beat but can face a stern test from Rebaatt from the William Haggas yard, a good second of 12 in a Newmarket handicap last month.

Darbucks can make the most of a good draw in stall one in race five (4.00) and snap an 18-run losing streak that stretches back to 22 but has shown much better form than that, only finishing outside the places once in six runs. Indie Skies is also of interest having switched to the Mick Appleby yard having scored in a 13-runner minor event at Kempton when last seen 114 days ago.

Division two of the class five handicap is the penultimate race on Chester’s card (4.35) with ten runners tackling the seven furlong distance and preference in this one is for daisy Roots, runner up on her last three appearances and is taken to get over the hump ahead of the in-form Star Shield, who has placed five times this season.

Finally, the card comes to a close at 5.10 with the class four handicap for three-year-olds over seven furlongs and preference in the card closer goes to Bulmer Bank, train by Mick Easterby, a good third of 19 in a strong York handicap on his last spin and is expected to go well once again.

Chester selections – Friday (via Betfair)

1.40 – Red Mirage

2.15 – Macanudo

2.50 – Duke Of Haather

3.25 – Amancio

4.00 – Darbucks

4.35 – Daisy Roots

5.10 – Bulmer Bank