Great Leighs reopens as Chelmsford City

The Essex racecourse known originally as Great Leighs, which operated for only a short period in 2008 before financial and regulatory problems closed it down, reopens today under a new name, Chelmsford City, a new owner (a syndicate led by bookmaker Fred Done) and new management. Today´s meeting will be held before 800 invited guests with the public excluded, which is not universally popular, but the track itself has received the thumbs up from several of the leading trainers at Newmarket, only 50 miles away, and there are runners today from the Godolphin trainers Saeed bin Suroor, Charlie Appleby as well as John Gosden, Ed Dunlop and others. Today´s main event, a mile race for 3yo´s and a qualifying race for Good Friday at Lingfield at 15.50 CET, has only 5 runners, all with decent winning form, but the Godolphin runners Super Kid (Martin Harley) and Tempus Tempris (Rab Havlin) probably have the best chances. The card opens with a 10 furlongs handicap which can go to topweight Rebellious Guest (George Margarson/ Tom Queally).

The only other racing in the U.K. is at the jumps meeting at Kelso, where the going will be very testing. Best race here is the veterans handicap chase at 15.10, where top weight Poole Master (David PIpe/ Conor O´Farrell) is the likely favourite, after winning the Grand Sefton at Aintree a month ago. However he has never run over such a long trip before and we prefer the proven stayers Cape Tribulation (Malcolm Jefferson/ Barry Hughes) and Lie Forrit (Lucinda Russell/ Peter Buchanan); the latter also won at Aintree last time, but is penalised for that success, so we prefer Cape Tribulation, who stays well and is well handicapped on his old form. From the German point of view the most interesting runner here is Stanley (Donald McCain/ Jason Maguire), who makes his British debut in the 4yo hurdle at 16.10; previously trained by Andreas Wöhler, this half-brother to Scalo and other good winners, won twice in Germany last year and is by far the best in this field on flat form (doesn´t always work out over sticks!).

Surprisingly there is no black type race in Ireland today, but the handicap chase at 15.30 at Fairyhouse is easily the most valuable race of the day. The 3 Gigginstown runners, with their main jockey Bryan Cooper on Sandra Hughes´ Bright New Dawn, and 2 McManus runners, with AP McCoy on Conor O´Dwyer´s Competitive Edge, runner-up last year, make up half the field, but our choice is Days Hotel (Henry de Bromhead/ Andrew Lynch), a tough and consistent campaigner, who is always capable of scoring at this level.

Fairyhouse - betting forecast:
1. Race: Uradel - Hostile Fire - Battle Hymn
2. Race: Baily Cloud - Rathpatrick - Enumerater
3. Race: Shabra`s Bertolini - Blackandamber Vic - Enjoy Responsibly
4. Race: Bright New Dawn - Sraid Padraig - Days Hotel
5. Race: Florishwells D`ete - Art Of Payroll - Kick On Boss
6. Race: Champagne James - Dromnea - Allied Victory
7. Race: Cogryhill - Wes Hardin - Flaviana