Aspire To Glory returns to action today in the 18:30 Class 6 Nursery Handicap over 7f at Chelmsford.

Read our Raceday LIVE preview below and join us before the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track with the team and our lucky owners for the day on our Instagram account @Coralofficial.

Raceday LIVE Preview

Aspire To Glory is set to have his second run over seven furlongs later today after finishing 5th over the same distance at Kempton last time out. Trainer Alice Haynes explained in her post-race update that she was pleased to see him "finish his race off properly" despite starting slower than she would've liked and him continuing to show signs of greenness early on.

His handicap mark has dropped from 57 to 54 for today's race, which means he's running off bottom weight as he's the lowest rated horse in the race, but that far from means he's the worst horse in the race.

Watch one of our latest videos below to find out more about Handicapping as Alice Haynes explains



The gelding was entered at Yarmouth on the 16th of October, but was pulled out the morning of the contest due to the already heavy, and worsening ground. Following this, a choice was to be made between sending him to Newcastle for a race over a mile, or continuing to campaign over seven furlongs in today's race. As a consequence of a piece of "lovely" work he did over today's trip alongside another horse of hers called Al Bahathri, the decision was made for him to continue over seven.

Alice provided this pre-race update yesterday: 

"He showed a much more professional attitude last time, racing a lot more efficiently, and he is ready to be ridden a bit more positively knowing he is more mentally switched on.

We can reiterate again that a mark of 54 in no way reflects the ability at home, it's just been a real process getting him to learn about being a racehorse. Obviously any support for the Boughey horse would make her interesting, though having shown her hand to some extent second time she's not likely to be one of the really thrown in types from that yard. There's the Clover horse in first time blinkers, Johnston's on handicap debut, and another couple of consistent enough types, but overall if he can just transfer that home ability to the track he's going to be bang there."



Promising young jockey Darragh Keenan takes the reins on Aspire To Glory for the first time this afternoon, with usual partner Kieran O'Neill riding at Newmarket. Keenan has been in solid form recently, riding winners for John Gallagher and Conrad Allen in the last fortnight, with the latter victory coming at this evening's track.

Alice Haynes has had 61 all-weather winners so far in her career as a trainer, with 13 of them coming at Chelmsford, and four of which have come this season.

The race should be a competitive one, with only one previous winner in the field of nine, and a further five of them placing in previous outings. 

• Irrelevant is the horse in the race that has won previously, doing so twice in contests over 7f and a mile, both of which came at Kempton.
• Recently crowned British Apprentice Flat Jockey Champion, Billy Loughnane, will be aboard Green Sigma in the famous double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. The filly is aiming for her first win after finishing third on her last two starts.
• Top weight Moreginplease arrives here having placed in her last two starts, over 7f at Leicester and over a mile on the all-weather at Lingfield.

  18:30 CHELMSFORD – LATEST BETTING HERE