8th-Jun-2013

Obviously luck in-running is going to be crucial in a field this size at Chester, and Al Muheer had none on his most recent run at Haydock, but he is potentially really well-handicapped now and it looked like he was running right back into form at Haydock.

He travelled strongly in that race, but he just didn’t have a clear passage in the home straight. He was alongside the eventual winner Redvers two furlongs out and going just as well but, while Redvers was brought towards the centre of the course and got a nice seam through between horses, Al Muheer was caught up behind horses all the way between the two-furlong pole and the furlong marker. The first and second had gone well clear by the time he was finally in the clear and he was no better than seventh going inside the final half-furlong, but he picked up really well late on to come home best of all and appeared to finish full of running.

He gets to race off the same mark today and, having been beaten just a short head off a 7lb higher mark last August, this is obviously a mark off which he can win. Also, Ruth Carr is a trainer who can have plenty of winners when she starts to hit form and, having started the season fairly quietly (she had just seven winners in March, April and May combined), she has had two winners in the last couple of days, including one by five lengths, and her horses could be about to really hit form. This could be the time to catch Al Muheer.

Chester probably wouldn’t be his ideal track – he has finished no better than fifth in three runs at the course – as he tends to be ridden patiently, but he doesn’t have to dropped right out and, from stall four, hopefully Jason Hart will adopt a slightly more prominent position than usual.

AL MUHEER WON (SP 8/1)