Nick Luck’s William Hill Blog: Hoping Point can go Clear at Chester

The top broadcaster, journalist and William Hill ambassador has combed through Chester’s Thursday card, making his selections.

CLEARPOINT makes most appeal in the opener on the middle day of Chester’s May Festival (1.30pm). He’s always been quite a talented sprinter, but seems in particularly good heart for his new trainer. Unlucky not to win a tidy little race at Epsom last time, he should be more forwardly placed here from a lovely draw, perhaps sitting just behind what is likely to be a scorching pace. With an unsteady look to the front of the market, he looks a solid each way play to start the day.

BRETTON WOOD might be able to overcome a tricky draw in the two-year-old race (2.05pm). Granted it’s not easy round here, but he gets an extra furlong here against some cheap speed, and there’s every shot he achieved at least as much as any when finishing fifth of six in quite a warm race on the Rowley Mile. He’s bred to be much better than these, and I’m hoping the market has overreacted to his draw.

GREY CUBAN might just be able to surprise the favourite in a good handicap third up (2.35pm). He had some fair two-year-old form, but looked different order following a gelding operation when trouncing a decent enough horse upped in trip at Wolverhampton. The cut back in distance here won’t inconvenience him, and I can see him getting them all well stretched out from the inside draw.

JAYAREBE can follow up his Newmarket success in the Dee Stakes (3.05pm). That win may have been helped by the tailwind, but he was impressive, recorded a good time, and looks well suited by a sound surface. He may be a little more tactical pace-wise than one or two of these, and this could be a nice stepping stone to the Prix du Jockey Club.

ENEMY could just upset the applecart in a strange looking race for the Ormonde (3.40pm). He shouldn’t really be up to winning his first group race at his age, but he’s not deteriorating judged on his find second in Saudi, and he didn’t run badly in a very hot edition of the Dubai Gold Cup. He’ll find this ground right up his street and he should love the searching pace that is likely to be the order of the day here. With a few ifs, buts and maybes about plenty of the others, he could glide round in his usual smooth fashion and find this dropping in his lap with a ground saving trip under a rider who knows this place like the back of his hand.