← Honest Record · Pick Winner · Mr Fox

Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap Stakes

17:25 Chester Sat 19 Sep 2026 1m6f87y Class 5 Soft 12 runners

View the racecard →

Mr Fox’s call

Tabasko silks

Tabasko

SPECULATIVE Advised 4/1 Est. 28%

5TH

Mr Fox says

Tabasko (SR 79, 4/1) is the highest-rated horse in the field and carries a favourable 9-9, giving it a 3lb advantage over both Zimmerman and Melon despite its superior rating. The recent form of 4-5221 shows a horse in the process of improving — two consecutive wins lead into today — and Ed Walker's 16% strike rate from 1,532 runners is the strongest trainer record among genuine contenders. Dropping one class (ClassMv:↓1) is another positive, suggesting the handicapper has handed connections an opportunity. The slight market drift to 5% in is modest but confirms the money is not running away from this horse, unlike Zimmerman who has drifted 25% — a significant red flag given Zimmerman's mark has risen 10lb since his last win (MarkMv:+10) and he is stepping UP a class. Each-way alternative: Spartan Times. Main danger: Melon — Melon (SR 74, 2/1) drops three classes — the biggest class relief in the field — has proven soft-ground form (GoingFit:+), and carries only 9-12 off a mark 53lb below its last win, making it a serious class dropper that could prove too good at this level despite 162 days off track.

Verify· #18727

Full result

Winner: Carthusian (IRE) at SP 9/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Carthusian silks Carthusian Jennie Candlish · Liam Wright 12/1
  2. 2 Spartan Times silks Spartan Times Fox #4 Jennie Candlish · William Pyle 4/1
  3. 3 Melon silks Melon Fox #3 Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero · Charlie Maggs 11/8
  4. 4 Zimmerman silks Zimmerman Fox #2 Tim Easterby · Jake Dickson(3) 9/2
  5. 5 Tabasko silks Tabasko Fox #1 Ed Walker · Ashley Lewis 9/2
  6. 6 Bulldog Spirit silks Bulldog Spirit Bernard Llewellyn · Isobelle Chalmers(7) 33/1
  7. 7 Risk Averse Rebel silks Risk Averse Rebel Gary Hanmer · Myla Coppins(5) 12/1
  8. 8 Wiltshire Wonder silks Wiltshire Wonder Bernard Llewellyn · Zoe Lewis(7) 50/1
  9. 9 Kindly Queen silks Kindly Queen Christopher Kellett · Christian Howarth 50/1
  10. 10 Talka silks Talka Donald McCain · Millie Wonnacott 33/1
  11. — Dream Harder silks Dream Harder Mark Loughnane · Hope Regan(7) 40/1
  12. — Al Za'ama silks Al Za'ama Donald McCain · Alfie Redman(5) 50/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Tabasko silks Tabasko 4/1 5TH
  2. 2 Zimmerman silks Zimmerman 7/2 🏁 4TH
  3. 3 Melon silks Melon 2/1 🥉 3RD
  4. 4 Spartan Times silks Spartan Times 6/1 🥈 2ND