In-form stayer can roar home in hat-trick bid

Three-year-olds receive a valuable weight for age allowance of 9lb from their elders in Chelmsford’s 2m toteexacta Forecast The 1st And 2nd Handicap (4.30), and pick of the trio of contenders at the foot of the weights is Stamford Raffles.

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Champs Elysees gelding has improved significantly for the step up in trip in recent weeks, and chases a hat-trick following fluent successes over this course (1m5f) and at Newcastle (2m).

Stamford Raffles, who had been put up 8lb by the handicapper for a four-and-a-half-length Chelmsford triumph over Graceful Lady, always looked likely to win at the Gosforth Park track after seizing command from heavily backed Snowy Dawn well over a furlong out, and appeared to have more in hand over the runner-up Aldreth than the winning margin of a head suggests.