4:02 Chepstow
This Premier Handicap hurdle over 2m3f100y at Chepstow on good to soft ground brings together a competitive field of 17, several of whom are high-class performers on official ratings. The race features a number of horses stepping up in class, with recent form ranging from consistent placings to patchy returns after breaks. KTB's Fit Scores identify Moon Chime as the clear top pick on 75, with Masked Man, Rambo T, Take No Chances and Ike Sport completing the principals in a contest where the numbers suggest strong depth among the leading contenders.
How the race shapes up
A strong pace is anticipated given two or more habitual front-runners in the line-up, with the race likely to be run at a searching gallop that could cause it to collapse late on. Masked Man, Kocktail Bleu and Rightsotom are all noted as tending to make the running or race prominently, setting up an early battle for the lead. This shape is expected to play into the hands of hold-up horses, several of which feature among the principals, and the key question will be which of the patiently ridden performers can pick up the pieces when the leaders tire in the straight.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Moon Chime KTB Selection75/100
Moon Chime is a high-class performer who has won four times on good to soft ground from seven starts and looks well suited by the step up to this trip. His course record is modest with a ninth on his only visit here but the yard have a strong 22% strike rate at Chepstow with an A/E of 1.57 from nine runs. Recent form has been mixed with a win sandwiched between two poor efforts, though the 8-year-old is held up and usually produces his effort late. The trainer and jockey combination shows a 24/155 record with an A/E of 1.27 and positive LSP of +£38.34. He steps up in class here having already shown his ability on good to soft, where he holds a strong record.
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2Masked Man68/100
Masked Man is a high-class performer who won on his only previous visit to Chepstow and has already scored at today's trip. He drops back from 2m4f after a break, which looks a sensible move given his record, and the yard holds a solid 22% strike rate at the track from 23 runs. The 5-year-old tends to make the running or race on the pace and showed useful form with figures of /1219- last season. He has a 1 win from 3 on good to soft with two places and the jockey has a 50% strike rate at Chepstow from a small sample with an A/E of 1.94. Trainer and jockey combined are 1/18 with an A/E of 0.32.
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3Rambo T65/100
Rambo T is a high-class performer with a rock-solid record here, having won both starts at Chepstow. He drops back in trip today having last run over 2m4f, though he has won twice from four starts at this distance and holds a solid record on good to soft with two wins and five places from ten runs. The 9-year-old is usually held up and produces his effort late with high confidence in that assessment. Olly Murphy has a 15% strike rate from 112 runs at the track while Lewis Saunders has a 17% strike rate at Chepstow from six rides with an A/E of 1.17. Trainer and jockey are 26/121 with an A/E of 1.18 and positive LSP.
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4Take No Chances65/100
Take No Chances is a high-class performer with a solid career record and strong course connections at Chepstow where he has placed once from two runs. He drops back from 3m today having already won at this trip, though his recent form has been a bit mixed with a string of placed efforts rather than wins from figures of 23342-. The 8-year-old is usually held up and produces his effort late with high confidence. Trainer strikes at 12% here from 354 runs while the jockey has a 7% strike rate at Chepstow from 15 rides with an A/E of 0.64. He has 2 wins from 11 on good to soft with ten places.
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5Ike Sport60/100
Ike Sport is a high-class performer who showed he retains his ability when winning last time out from recent form of 6692-1. He has solid placed form on good to soft and has won over today's trip, though he was well held on his only previous run at Chepstow. The 8-year-old is usually held up and produces his effort late with high confidence in that run-style. The trainer holds an 11% strike rate at Chepstow from 336 runs with an A/E of 1.13 while the jockey has a 23% strike rate at the track from 318 rides. Trainer and jockey combined are 12/63 with an A/E of 0.94 and positive LSP, as he steps up in class.
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6Glynn Brae60/100
Glynn Brae is a high-class performer with a solid recent record that includes two wins. He has only one run at Chepstow which produced a respectable fourth, while the yard has a 22% strike rate here from 23 runs. The 6-year-old drops back in trip today having failed to trouble the judge in two previous attempts at this distance, though he did win his only start on good to soft ground.
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7Wellington Arch58/100
Wellington Arch is a high-class performer with a strong recent record of two wins from his last three starts. He drops back in trip today to a distance he has never tried which asks a fresh question while the yard's modest 4% strike-rate from 47 runs at Chepstow is another negative. The 7-year-old goes well on good to soft having won four times from eight starts on the surface.
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8Kocktail Bleu57/100
Kocktail Bleu is a high-class performer with strong recent form including a win and four placed efforts from his last five starts. He steps up in trip today having looked at home over 2m and that leaves a question mark over whether the extra distance will suit. The 6-year-old has won twice from four runs on good to soft and the trainer has a solid 15% strike rate at Chepstow.
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9Washington56/100
Washington is a high-class performer with a solid career record and strong course connections, having won both starts at Chepstow. He acts on good to soft ground with two wins and three places from six runs, while the trainer maintains a 23% strike rate here from 40 runs. The 10-year-old is stepping up in trip for the first time today which asks a fresh question of him.
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10Daylatedollarshort56/100
Daylatedollarshort is a high-class performer with a solid recent record of 24112 that includes two wins. He has placed at today's trip without winning and holds strong course connections through the yard's established 15% strike rate at Chepstow from 112 runs. Going suitability remains unknown given no runs on good to soft.
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11Our Guide54/100
Our Guide is a high-class performer who arrives in top form after three straight wins and looks well up to this level on ratings. He drops back in trip to 2m3f today which asks a fresh question having last run over 2m4f. The trainer has a solid 17% strike rate from 115 runs at Chepstow while the jockey also knows the track well, though he has no runs on good to soft.
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12Perseus Way53/100
Perseus Way is a high-class performer with a solid recent record of 5/3112 and has won three times from six starts on good to soft ground. He has placed on his only previous run at Chepstow but steps up markedly in trip today from 1m4f having failed to win in one previous try at this distance. The trainer has only two runs at the track which is too small a sample to judge.
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13Melon52/100
Melon is a high-class performer who showed his ability with a win last time and has strong placed form on good to soft ground including two wins from five runs. He steps up in trip today which asks a fresh question while his sole course run resulted in a modest sixth. The trainer has a 6% strike rate from 18 runs at Chepstow.
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14Boombawn51/100
Boombawn is a high-class performer with strong ratings and a solid race history that includes course connections here at Chepstow. He showed little spark when last seen but has a respectable record on good to soft ground and is now dropping back in trip having looked stretched over further last time. The yard's modest strike rate at the track is a slight negative.
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15The Mighty Celt50/100
The Mighty Celt is a high-class performer on the balance of his ratings and race history. He steps up in trip today having shown little on good to soft ground in two previous attempts and makes his first appearance at Chepstow. Trainer Dan Skelton has a 12% strike rate from 354 runs here while jockey Harry Skelton has a 13% strike rate at the track.
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16Rightsotom47/100
Rightsotom is a high-class performer with strong ratings and race history behind him. He steps up in trip today having already won at this distance, though his record on good to soft is modest with no win or place from four runs. The trainer has an 8% strike rate from 92 runs at Chepstow.
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17Letterston Lily42/100
Letterston Lily is a high-class mare who showed her best form when winning over 2m4f at this track last season and has added two more placed efforts this term. She handles good to soft ground and drops back in trip today for a first try at 2m3f. The trainer has a modest 6% strike rate from 17 runs here.
KTB verdict
Moon Chime emerges as the KTB Selection with a clear Fit Score advantage and the profile to relish the step up in trip on good to soft ground where he has four wins from seven starts. His yard's strong record at Chepstow adds further appeal even if his own course form is modest, and the strong pace should play to his strengths as a hold-up performer. The main dangers are headed by Masked Man, who won on his only previous visit to the track and drops back in trip off a break, and Rambo T, whose rock-solid course record of two wins from two starts cannot be ignored. Take No Chances and Ike Sport also hold strong claims among a deep field of high-class performers.
KTB Selection Moon Chime
This is the narrative read of the 4:02 Chepstow. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Chepstow racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Chepstow results & records page. How favourites, trainers, jockeys and the draw have fared here over the last five years is on the Chepstow racecourse statistics page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is best suited by the likely strong pace?
Hold-up horses such as Moon Chime, Rambo T, Take No Chances and Ike Sport are favoured by the strong pace that could collapse late.
How many wins has Moon Chime recorded on good to soft ground?
Moon Chime has four wins from seven starts on good to soft.
What is Rambo T's course record at Chepstow?
Rambo T has won both of his two starts at Chepstow.
Which front-runners are likely to set the pace?
Masked Man, Kocktail Bleu and Rightsotom tend to make the running or race on the pace.
How many wins from how many starts does the trainer of Moon Chime have at Chepstow?
The trainer of Moon Chime has a 22% strike rate at Chepstow with an A/E of 1.57 from nine runs.
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