Blue Prince (16:22 Chester — J20 Classified Claiming Stakes, Class 4, 7½f)
A five-year-old bay gelding trained by P D Evans and partnered today by Oisin Murphy — a significant jockey upgrade on recent outings. Blue Prince has been running in Class 3 handicaps all summer and acquitting himself well, finishing placed at Kempton and Goodwood before his last run at Salisbury, where he finished third in a Class 3 handicap over a mile. He drops into a weaker Classified Claiming Stakes today and that drop in grade, combined with Murphy in the saddle, makes him the one to be on.
He has placed at Chester over this exact course and distance at Class 2 level before, good ground suits, and at 7½f on a tight, turning track he should get a good pitch from stall 4 with no significant draw bias to worry about.
Verdict: Back to win at 11/10 — class drop, top jockey, and conditions that suit. Should be too good for these. 🏇
