Stoute to shine on Friday

Midterm backed in the highlight

Followers of our horse racing previews had plenty to shout about on Thursday, with three winners in the bank, including our NAP and next best. Ace play Deauville did as expected in the Huxley Stakes, and that was quickly followed up by Venice Beach, claiming the Chester Vase.

That took our Chester winners for the week to four, and what better way to start the weekend than by building on that with a few more visits to the winner’s enclosure on Friday. Skip to the bottom of this page and you’ll find our best bet in each of the seven races, or read on as we lay-out our top two.

Click to place your bets on Friday’s horse racing, from Chester and beyond.

Michael Stoute looks to have a winner

Our standout bet of the day goes in the best race on the card, the 3.35pm Ormonde Stakes. A dozen runners are marked down to contest this group three test, run over one mile five furlongs. Sir Michael Stoute had Poet’s Word beaten a neck in the Huxley Stakes on Thursday, but he looks to have the winner here in Midterm.

The sublimely-bred four-year-old got his career off to a perfect start when winning on debut at Newbury a couple of summers ago in a maiden. That was enhanced with another winning effort at Sandown in the group three Classic Trial, over 1m 2f. An impressive effort from a promising horse, but we’ve not seen much of that since.

Midterm has some making up to do

A second in the group two Prix Neil at Chantilly behind Makahiki stands as his best following that win, but he let punters down last time out at Newbury, ending fifth in another group three, despite going as a rather convincing favourite.