Heart Of Soul looks the pick of the Dr Marwan Koukash's quartet
Back Heart Of Soul @ 5/1 in the 16:10 Chester
Dr Marwan Koukash is often found in the winners enclosure at Chester and he has four chances of doing that in this race. However, I think the one that we will find him in there again with today is his five-year-old gelding Heart Of Soul. He has been in great form over longer distances and finished in front of another of his runners Gabrial The One when winning on this course last month. He was only denied the hat-trick by half a length when Natural History just got the better of him a couple of weeks ago. Today's drop in trip won't inconvenience him at all and he seems to be running better than ever at the minute, I expect another big run today.
Away from the Dr Marwan Koukash runners the one that could give the selection the most to do is Snow Ocean, he is clearly in fine form and conditions should suit. David Evans four-year-old is a course and distance winner seeking a hat-trick of wins after going in here and then following that up at Goodwood just four days ago. That win at Goodwood was off a mark of 76, which was a career best for him and if he is to go in again, he will have to do it with another 5lb on his back. For that reason I will side with Heart Of Soul to stop him making the hat-trick.
Case Key is too big to ignore at 10/1
Back Each Way Case Key @ 10/1 in the 17:00 Nottingham
With 16 runners currently going to post and four places up for grabs, I think Michael Appleby's runner in this closing handicap can run better than his odds suggest. Case Key is a stunning grey seven-year-old dropping back into Class 5 company for the first time since winning at Leicester in June having finished second twice at Yarmouth in the interim and there was a lot to like about his most recent effort where he tried to make all and battled all the way to the line. He has the added advantage today of a very decent 5lb claimer on his back in the shape of Ray Dawson
It's a very competitive finale, the favourite is Molly Shaw who is on a hat-trick after winning at Salisbury and Yarmouth but the three-year-old filly has already gone up 10lbs since that first win and I think she will find this tough. Vitare is another three-year-old running for the Mick Channon team, he has won off a mark of 74 before and running off 70 today makes him a bigger danger. But I would rather be on Case Key at a double figure price than either of the market leaders.