Thursday Chelmsford top tip: Democracy Dilemma looking to dictate

Michaela's Boy has been installed as the early favourite on the back of his win at Newcastle last time out, where he easily won a small-field Class 4 handicap over five furlongs as a heavily-backed favourite.

He looks sure to go well again despite an eight-pound hike for that win, but he could have hoped for a better draw, and one who might take advantage tonight is one of the David Evans' pair, Democracy Dilemma.

This two-year-old gelding looked capable of becoming much more than a Class 4 handicapper when he blasted almost four lengths clear of his rivals to win his maiden at Chester back in May - notably a similar tight track configuration to today's.

On closer inspection, that was a classy performance because the well-beaten runner-up, who couldn't get anywhere near him on level terms, was Hugo Palmer's Self Praise, who subsequently finished runner-up in a Class 2 race at Epsom, before more recently finishing as third-placed favourite in a Class 4 handicap at Haydock, in which he ran off a mark of 80 (having previously been rated up to 87).

The way Democracy Dilemma outclassed Self Praise at Chester suggests he looks very attractively handicapped off his current mark of 83.

Significantly, Democracy Dilemma wore his visor for the first time at Chester but, on his seasonal reappearance at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago (where he still ran very respectably), no headgear was deployed.

The visor is back today and, after that recent tenderly-handled reappearance run at Wolverhampton, he looks primed for a big performance from a very handy low draw on this second run back in action.

He made all to win at Chester when wearing a visor, while at Wolverhampton (where he would have also needed the run), he was restrained at the back of the field before making progress under just hands and heels in the closing stages.

While perhaps falling short of the Royal Ascot potential his connections initially hoped for, he is still surely better than a Class 4 handicapper, and if he can build on his seasonal return, with the visor back in place, then he looks very dangerous off this mark.

The likely strong pace around here should certainly suit him and he looks poised to strike