Chester Racing Tips: Tannaaf the bet of the day on Thursday

I think Tannaaf rates the bet of the day at odds of 5.59/2 in the in the Chester Vase at 15:10.

I was not a happy bunny when he was beaten on his reappearance at the Craven meeting at Newmarket last month, as I had a decent bet on him there and sat and suffered - to be accurate, I was standing up and swearing - as he met all kinds of trouble in running, only to be beaten under two lengths into fourth in that 1m2f sales race.

He would have gone very close to winning that race with a clear run, and that effort at least confirmed that he had come back from his brief stint in Dubai as an improved horse.

And this extra 2f promises to suit him, both on run-style and on breeding, being by High Chaparral out of a 1m4f winner.

Of course, the race is full of unexposed horses - not least Hans Holbein from a stable who have won five of the last eight runnings of this race and has been tipped up by our own Mike Norman - but I was taken by the selection at Newmarket and he gets my vote at the price.

I am not going to put one up in the Betfair Huxley Stakes at 14:40, but if I was going to play in the race it would probably be Fattsota at the prices. He was obviously very impressive when winning off a mark of 103 at Ripon last time, but I suspect they may all have their hands full trying to cope with the favourite Cannock Chase.

He was the best work horse in Sir Michael Stoute's stable last season and the yard were pleased with his reappearance third in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown, where he needed it and just got tired. He is much the likeliest winner but his odds are just too short for me to get involved.

Collabaration is another favourite I respect in the opener at 14:10 as he was tremendously impressive at Epsom last time and the wind op he had over the winter has clearly done the trick. But he is 10lb higher today, and I can't get excited by him at the odds.

I was tempted by Dick Doughtywylie, who has been dropped 3lb since last season, but his record suggests he does tend to need the run after a break - though his reappearance effort last season was solid enough - but settled on Our Gabrial off a falling handicap mark at odds of 13.012/1.

It is a bit embarrassing to be tipping another Fahey-Koukash horse in truth, as everyone knows the score with their runners at this meeting and there is a bit of the "obvious" in siding with them.

But this horse tends to put his best foot forward at this course, is drawn okay-ish in 7 of 12, and is back on a mark only 2lb higher than when winning a Shergar Cup handicap over 1m4f last summer.

He is versatile as regards run-style, which gives Tom Eaves options on this course and distance winner who acts on any ground.

Thursday's small-field C4 races make it hard for me - and plenty of others I imagine - to find much of a betting angle, in truth, and the same is also true of the handicap at 15:45.

I think Geordie George has a favourite's chance here after a good reappearance effort at Pontefract, but this column is not about stating the bleedin' obvious at the top of the market, so I'll pass on this contest, too.

In the two handicaps on RUK later in the card, nothing really catches my eye either, so we will keep our powder relatively dry - I am not going to put up selections that I personally won't be backing - with a view stepping it up a gear on Friday.

Recommended Bets
Back Our Gabrial at 13.012/1 in the 14:10 at Chester
Back Tannaaf at 5.59/2 in the 15:10 at Chester