The Chester May Festival is one of my favourite meetings of the year, even if finding winners can be a rather tricky proposition at times. This tight left handed track is hugely favourable to those drawn close to the inner, especially over sprint trips. Franny Norton is usually the jockey to follow at Chester as he knows the track inside out. Tom Dascombe often targets races at this meeting, particularly with his 2yos, so watch out for his horses too. Below are my thoughts on Day 1.
Race 1
A total of 10 2yos go to post for the opening race of the Chester May Festival, The Lily Agnes, and a case can be made for quite a few. The ground is currently described as good to soft so an ability to handle a slight ease will be important, as will an inside draw. David Evans and John Egan teamed up last year to take this race last year with Yogi’s Girl and he is back to try and repeat the trick with Lihou. I think this son of Mayson has outstanding claims from stall 5 with Fran Berry in the plate.
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| Lihou looks a horse with a future and he won cosily at Kempton. |
He has already proved that he can handle an ease in the ground with a fine effort when beaten just 2L by Izzer on debut in the Brocklesby at Doncaster (5f sft) and that form looks decent with no less than five horses winning their next start, including Lihou who won with a bit up his sleeve at Kempton last month even if the winning margin was only a head. The horse he beat, Kinks, won his next two on the trot and at odds of 4/1 I think Lihou is the one to beat.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: LIHOU @ 4/1 NAP
Race 2
The Listed Cheshire Oaks is the second race on Day 1 of the Chester May Festival and a total of 10 fillies will go to post for this open looking contest. Kinaesthesia and Magic Wand are currently disputing favouritism at odds of 4/1 and of those two I would prefer the chances of the latter now that she will be encountering half decent ground for the first time. I thought Magic Wand shaped like a stayer on her debut on soft at Leopardstown (8f) and she should be suited by the step up in trip and good to soft ground on Wednesday.
However, odds of 4/1 don’t really appeal to me given that she still has plenty to prove and at a much bigger price I think that Hazarfiya could go well for Sir Michael Stoute and James Doyle. This daughter of Fastnet Rock ran a lovely race on debut at the backend of last season at Newbury when 3rd over a mile on soft, doing all her best work at the finish. She was entitled to need her comeback run over 10f at the same track last month (gd/sft), she is a half-sister to Derby winner Harzand and at odds of 16/1 she is worth a speculative punt each way in a first time visor.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: HAZARFIYA E/W @ 16/1
Race 3
This 5 furlong 3yo handicap looks a tricky little puzzle to solve and a case can be made for a fair few of the 10 runners. As was stated earlier, an inside draw is a huge advantage at Chester in these sprints, particularly for prominent racers, and I think that Looks A Million from the in form Joe Tuite Yard could outrun her odds of 9/1 from the plum starting berth in stall 1 with top jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle.
This daughter of Kyllachy was highly tried last season after her maiden win and her last six starts have come in Listed company. Her best efforts have come with an ease in the ground, including a fine 3rd at Chantilly in October 2017. She ran a creditable race on her seasonal return, beaten 6L behind Mrs Gallagher at Bath (5f gd) and that filly scored again at Naas at the weekend and is now rated in the high 90s. This represents a big drop in class for Looks A Million, she won second time up last season and at 9/1 she should go close for each way backers.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: LOOKS A MILLION E/W @ 9/1
Race 4
The feature race on the opening day of the May Festival at Chester is the Group 3 Chester Vase and ten horses have been declared. This is a race that Aidan O’Brien has farmed in recent years and he has won it with some very useful sorts, including Ruler Of The World, Soldier Of Fortune and Treasure Beach. He fires three bullets at the race this year and I think that Hunting Horn, the choice of stable jockey Ryan Moore, could be the one to be on.
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| Aidan O'Brien has an unbelievable record in the Chester Vase. |
This son of Camelot progressed with every run as he was upped in trip after his debut and he broke his maiden in good style when stepped up to 10f at Naas on his seasonal reappearance. He was last sighted in a Group 3 finishing 3rd behind Sevenna Star and Ipsolini at Sandown (10f gd/sft) and he was doing all his best work at the finish. I think the extra couple of furlongs here will enable him to turn the form around with the Appleby horse and he will likely go off a lot shorter than his current odds of 4/1.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: HUNTING HORN @ 4/1
Race 5
This is a competitive looking 10f maiden and the one I like at a half decent price is Infrastructure for Martyn Meade and Oisin Murphy. This gelded 3yo son of Raven’s Pass was far from disgraced on his debut on good to soft ground when 6th of 15 over a mile at Newbury and I think the step up in trip could bring about a jolt of improvement.
He got absolutely no cover on the wide outside of the field at Newbury and he looked a bit green as the pace lifted a couple of furlongs out. However, he kept on well to the line and he has just 4L to make up with the 4th home Chief Ironside. Infrastructure is bred to appreciate the step up in trip, he will have learned lots from his debut run, he should get plenty of cover from stall 2 and at odds of 12/1 he is the each way selection.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: INFRASTRUCTURE E/W @ 12/1
Race 6
The one I like at a price for this 6f contest is Neola, a filly whose form ties in with our earlier selection Looks A Million. This daughter of Foxwedge hails from the red hot Mick Channon yard and Andrea Atzeni (8/45 for the stable) takes the ride. She was last sighted finishing her race off well behind Mrs Gallagher in a 5f Listed Race at Bath and she will appreciate stepping back up in trip to 6f, the distance her best form has come over.
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| Neola returns to handicap company off her last winning mark. |
Her last win came in a 6f handicap (sft) at Goodwood last year off a mark of 89 and she is racing off the same rating here. She won’t mind the slight ease in the ground and while her draw in stall 8 is a slight negative she is effective when held up in touch so once she breaks well she should be able to get a decent position. This is her first start in handicap company since that Goodwood win and back down in class she could make her presence felt at 20/1.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: NEOLA E/W @ 20/1
Race 7
The concluding race on the card of the opening day of the Chester May Festival meeting is a 7f class 4 handicap and I am sweet on the claims of former course winner Roaring Forties, who is trained by on fire handler Rebecca Bastiman. She has her string in serious shape at the minute and this fella can bounce back from a poor run over 6f at Ripon last time out.
He shaped a whole lot better on his previous start at Doncaster (7f soft) off a mark of 84 when he found just one too good, beaten just under a length by Right Action. He hosed up at Musselburgh last October off 77 by almost 4L and his fine effort when beaten just 2L by Our Charlie Brown at Catterick (7f sft) off 87 proves he can be competitive off his current rating of 85. Martin Harley has a win and two places from just six rides for Bastiman and hopefully Roaring Forties enhances that record at Chester at odds of 12/1.
STEVOS’ SELECTION: ROARING FORTIES E/W @ 12/1 NB
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