14:05 Chester

Saturday 14 September 2024

All13:3514:0514:4015:2016:0516:4017:1517:55

Virgin Bet Stand Cup Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 2m 43.21s

Settings

Selected odds by:

(6)

Al Qareem²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Pierre-Louis Jamin| T: K R Burke| OR: 109| CD

4/5

Smart performer who finished runner-up in Group 3 company for the third time from half-a-dozen starts this year when chasing home Al Aasy in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury (13.3f, good to firm). Winner of this 12 months ago (sole previous visit here) and he's the one to beat.

Form: 245252

(3)

Burdett Road^t1²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Harry Davies| T: James Owen| OR: 100

9/1

Won 3-y-o handicap at Royal Ascot last year and developed into a useful hurdler for this yard during the winter (Grade 2 winner). However, he failed to build on his encouraging reappearance effort when down the field in the Ebor and first-time tongue strap replaces the hood here.

Form: 1153-50

(4)

Cristal Clere³³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: S D Bowen| T: J Nallen| OR: 100

20/1

Won 3 on the bounce last year and best effort so far this season when second in a 7-runner listed race at Roscommon (1½m, good to firm) in July. Wasn't in the same form next time, though, and failed to justify favouritism on hurdles debut 10 days later.

Form: 446224

(7)

Iron Lion²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Ben Robinson| T: D O'Meara| OR: 95| D

16/1

Bagged his third win this year with a career best in a 9-runner handicap at Ripon (1½m, good) on penultimate start. However, no show in the Ebor since and probably biting off more than he can chew in this company.

Form: 161510

(8)

La Yakel²²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: A J Farragher| T: W J Haggas| OR: 106| D

11/4

Low-mileage sort who is still progressing judged on what he's shown in 2 starts this season, building on his encouraging Ascot reappearance when readily landing a valuable Hamilton handicap (1½m, heavy) last month. Likely to take this step up in class in his stride with conditions again ideal.

Form: 2512-61

(1)

Teumessias Fox²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Rob Hornby| T: A M Balding| OR: 102| D

14/1

Found a little more progress when successful at Kempton (1½m) in January but it's been downhill pretty much all the way since and he needs to bounce back in a major way.

Form: 100840

Non-Runners

(5)

Enemy¹⁴

Weight: 9-5| Age: 7

T: Ian Williams J: Jim Crowley

(2)

Star Harbour³⁰

Weight: 9-5| Age: 6

T: A McGuinness J: O J Orr

Forecasts

Al Qareem (4/5), La Yakel (11/4), Burdett Road (9/1), Star Harbour (12/1), Teumessias Fox (14/1), Iron Lion (16/1), Cristal Clere (20/1), Enemy (20/1)

AL QAREEM got the better of high-class filly Bluestocking in this race last year and he is taken to successfully defend his crown, with the progressive La Yakel likely to emerge as the main danger this time round. Star Harbour is third choice given doubts surrounding Burdett Road on the back of his low-key display in the Ebor.