'He's been in terrific form and likes the track' - key analysis and quotes for the Chelmsford apprentice handicap

A decent field is the least you could ask of a 0-85 worth £30,000. Races like this can also draw the more interesting horses in the pool, although this one has not come up strongly in that regard.

This may be partly down to it being a race for apprentice riders. The received wisdom is that less-experienced jockeys pair better with more experienced horses. But you would not hesitate to put Mason Paetel, Jack Dace or Jack Doughty on an improving four-year-old with almost £16,000 to be won.

Those three riders are all on horses with something to recommend them. Dace is on Cairn Gorm, who won on his return from a long layoff in December and is in better form than his last run implies as he returns to the all-weather.

Paetel is on Crimson Sand. His new trainer Dan Horsford is starting to make waves, with his last seven runners before racing at Stratford on Saturday night returning form figures of 3121222. 

Crimson Sand has had wind surgery since he was third at Lingfield. A 44-day turnaround is on the quick side, but you would imagine efforts have been made to get him ready for this valuable race.

Mesaafi, who will be ridden by Doughty for another fledgling trainer in Ross Burdon, is arguably the form pick. He shaped best in a race won by Northcliff at Ascot last time and is relatively unexposed after just 14 runs. 

The other to mention is eight-year-old Aberama Gold. It is less than two years since he won the Stewards' Cup, but he is now on a mark of 82. Recent runs have suggested a horse working back to some sort of form and this is a drop in grade. 

The draw could have been kinder to Aberama Gold, who is in 12 of 14. However, the six-furlong track gives horses time to organise and the bend is rather sweeping, so the bias is not as strong as at some other all-weather courses. 

None of the four horses mentioned has a perfect draw, but a skilled apprentice can still get his mount in the right sort of place to challenge.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

What they say

Tom Faulkner, trainer of Northcliff
He's got a good draw in two but it's a deep race and I think he's too high in the weights.

Nick Littmoden, trainer of Monsieur Beaulieu
Every time he's been to Chelmsford he's run well, and his jockey knows him well. You can put a line through Windsor last time. He didn't get the gaps and he's been eased a pound, which helps. I like his draw in stall five and there are a few things in his favour.

Stuart Williams, trainer of Rebel Path
He's won at Chelmsford before, has a decent draw in stall four and Olivia Haines gets on nicely with him. He came out of Newmarket in great form and is not that much worse off with some of them who were behind because Olivia can still claim in this race.

Ruth Carr, trainer of Fiscal Policy
He's been in terrific form and likes the track. He’s on a high enough mark now, but Kaiya Fraser is riding well. He’ll need to, though, as he’s drawn 13 of 14.

Mike Murphy, trainer of Jesse Luc
He likes the track and there's obvious pace in the race, which is a positive. He's gone such a long way up in the handicap that we're hopeful rather than confident, but he does seem to just keep improving and I'm hoping he can do the same again.
Reporting by Lewis Porteous

Read more . . .

'He'll need a lot of luck' - can Grand Carat overcome poor draw in valuable Chelmsford handicap?  

Treasure takes aim at Nottingham feature for the King and Queen but faces two lightly raced three-year-olds  

Eve Johnson Houghton flies the flag for Britain in Chantilly Group 2 and Willie Mullins takes aim at Kilbeggan novice hurdle  

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email