GO WHISTLING AT CHESTER

LONDON: The Whistling Teal can give Geoff Wragg his fourth successive victory in the ?75,000 Betdaq Ormonde Stakes at Chester today. The eight-year-old bids to follow in the hoofprints of Asian Heights last season and St Expedit the previous two years by winning this Group Three contest over an extended one mile and five furlongs. Cut in the ground is crucial for the The Whistling Teal and conditions have come right for the son of Rudimentary with plenty of rain falling at Chester this week.

He gained the biggest success of his career in the Group Three St Simon Stakes at Newbury in soft ground in October 2002, when he defeated subsequent Coronation Cup hero Warrsan by three-quarters of a length. He was lightly-raced and luckless last term and ran better than the placing suggests on his seasonal reappearance in the Group Three Dubai Irish Village Stakes when seventh of 17 to Dubai Success and Gamut, beaten a total of eight lengths.

He was switched off in rear to make good headway in the straight before tiring in the final furlong. With that run under his belt, he can return to winning ways in a race that has become one of Wragg’s favourites. Peter Chapple-Hyam’s African Dream has improved out of all recognition and can take the Jardine Lloyd Thompson Dee Stakes. Last year’s winner of the race Kris Kin went on to land the Derby and, while Chapple-Hyam’s charge cannot run in the blue riband as he is a gelding, he looks to be a worthy bet in this Group Three contest.

The son of Mark Of Esteem was claimed by the Newmarket handler after winning at Lingfield in February and connections haven’t looked back since. African Dream has won his last four starts and inflicted a three-and-a-half-length defeat on the smart Privy Seal in the Betfred Classic Trial on his most recent outing. The recent rainfall on the Roodee won’t have done his chances any harm and African Dream can make it five out of five. Bright Moll made a pleasing debut at Folkestone and can confirm that promise in the European Breeders Fund Novice Median Auction Fillies Stakes.

Michael Bell’s filly got the hang of racing halfway through the five-furlong contest to lead over a furlong out and storm home by four lengths from the favourite Colonel Bilko. The Newmarket trainer thinks a lot of the Mind Games filly, who could be a cut above the average. Whippasnapper can bounce back from defeat at Brighton last month to take the Mitie Amateur Classified Stakes at Hamilton. The John Best-trained four-year-old found the extended five furlongs at the seaside track too sharp and could only finish eighth to Erracht. Yet 24 hours earlier he had landed a six-furlong handicap at Leicester in good style from Kingscross. A similar distance at the Scottish track can see Whippasnapper score again.

SELECTIONS: CHESTER: 8.55 Corridor Creeper, 9.25 African Dream, 9.55 THE WHISTLING TEAL (NAP), 10.30 Ikitaf, 11.05 Hills Of Gold, 11.40 Trouble Mountain.
NOTTINGHAM: 9.05 Speed On, 9.35 Weir’s Annie, 10.05 Bright Moll, 10.40 Smart John, 11.15 Dark Raider, 11.50 Romeo’s Day, 12.20 Cadeaux Rouge.
LINGFIELD: 9.15 Samuel Charles, 9.45 Bogaz, 10.20 Roxanne Mill, 10.55 Jools, 11.30 Castleton, 12.05 Anyhow.
HAMILTON: 1.10 Whippasnapper, 1.40 Mister Bell, 2.10 Scotland The Brave, 2.40 Always Flying, 3.10 Recognise, 3.40 Garnock Venture.
WINCANTON: 12.55 Supreme Piper, 1.25 Whatashock, 1.55 Stance, 2.25 Majed, 2.55 Garruth, 3.25 Lady Ward.
DOUBLE: The Whistling Teal and African Dream.