Racing tips: Belhaven can continue to progress for the in form stable of Harry Eustace

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Chester was eventful, to say the least, but I hope you all had better success than me. Days 1 and 3 were shockers, Day 2 was much better, but it's a shame we couldn't end it in good style.

Ascot 1:30 – High Fibre 11/2 (1pt EW B365)

It might seem like I'm backing High Fibre as he is now being trained by the recent Chester Cup winning trainer, Harry Fry and is racing in the same colours as yesterday's winner Metier, but that's not the case.

It seems a bit strange that Ralph Beckett was happy to let this horse go from his stable as he has always looked like a horse who had the potential to kick on but was quirky. Before he left Ralph's yard he was gelded, so it seems like they were willing to give him time and race him this year but the owner clearly wanted rid and Harry Fry obtained him, whether that was intended for jumping or the flat I'm not sure, but what I do know is that this horse is bred to stay today's trip and he should be better than his current handicap mark of 89.

The time away from the track is a slight concern, but Harry Fry is a great trainer, as we saw yesterday. He can ready one up for their seasonal reappearance, so it's not a total disaster that he's not raced. The form of his runs from last year stack up nicely in comparison to the horses he races against today, and I think the gelding op will have worked wonders for him. He had it done in August of last year, so he's had plenty of time to get used to that in training over the winter and he should be a much calmer horse now, which he'll need to be now he's stepping up in trip, but the fact Harry steps him up in trip straight away suggests he is calm and will see out the trip.

Ascot 2:05 – Belhaven 13/2 (1.5pt EW B365 4pl)

For the life of me, I can't understand why Belhaven is the odds she is, she just looks like a filly who is progressing very nicely and is more than capable of coping with a 7lb rise in the weights.

In theory, 7lb is probably a bit too harsh for her win at Nottingham, but I was impressed with how she saw off the rivals in that race. She just seems like a proper genuine horse who tries her hardest whether she wins or loses, and I think the losses in recent times on her record can be forgiven. She clearly needed the run at Redcar on her return, but she was strongly fancied that day, so they must've believed she was ready and very well-handicapped off a mark of 80, she then backed up that market support the time after. Pierre-Louis Jamin retains the ride and takes off 3lbs, which will help and I think she'd probably want the ground to dry out slightly to good to soft, as it will help her chances against the others, who might even need the ground softer (Timeless Melody).

Ascot 2:40 – Toimy Son 66/1 (1pt EW PPower 6pl)

This is a tricky race, but there were a few I did like at shorter prices, but I've opted for the biggest priced selection of those that I whittled it down to, and that's simply because the other two were Baradar who is joint-favourite and Perotto who is 14/1, so I'll take a chance on Toimy Son.

I believe there is a big pot for this horse at some point during the season, whether it's today or not I'm not sure, but David Menuisier is a great trainer at targeting his horses for the big day/pots, as we've seen him plunder many pots in France, and even winning the Lincoln on Day 1 of the flat season with Migration. I refuse to believe he's acquired this horse and he's not capable of better than what we've seen from him so far. He was kept over 7f for nearly his entire career when trained over in France, looking like one of those horses who like the intermediate trip between sprints and the mile, so it makes no sense for him to be running over a mile other than to try and con the handicapper and get his rating down.

He is a Listed winner over 7f, which was last May on good to soft ground recording an RPR of 109 in the process. Cristian Demuro rode him that day, and that was the only time he has ever ridden him. It seems strange that he comes over to Ascot for one ride, and it's on Toimy Son, I can't imagine he'd come over for a no-hoper, so the fact this horse is 50/1 rank outsider seems a bit ridiculous.

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