Good morning all,

Chester’s May Festival is back after a year off due to lockdown. It’s the start of a busy week of Derby & Oaks Trials starting at Chester today. Moving to Lingfield on Saturday and York’s Dante Meeting next week.

The feature races are the Group 3 Chester Vase (3:15). It’s an Epsom Derby Trial which was won in 2013 by Ruler Of The World before he went onto victory in that year’s Derby. In 2017 Wings Of Eagles finished runner-up in the race before going onto success at Epsom. Both horses were trained by Aidan O’Brien who has farmed the race in recent seasons winning seven of the last nine renewals.

The other classic trial is the Cheshire Oaks (2:15).  The race was won in 2017 by Enable before her win in the Epsom Oaks. John Gosden or Aidan O’Brien have saddled the last five winners of the race.

Inside today’s main piece, I’m concentrating on this afternoon’s racing from Chester. If you’re lucky enough to be off today or working from home you can watch the best of the Chester action on ITV Racing.

Chester’s May Festival – Day 1

The heavy rain that fell on Monday has had an impact on underfoot conditions. Turning the going description from good to firm to good to soft.

1:45 – CM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes (Class 2) – 5f

Seven juveniles have been declared for the annual curtain raiser and five of them were last time out winners.

Navello is the most experienced horse in the field having already had three starts, winning the last two. However, he has the burden of stall one.

The Richard Hannon trained Armor looked useful when winning at Doncaster on his racecourse debut 11-days ago. That win came on good to firm so today’s ground asks another question of the colt. Ryan Moore booked for the ride.

Devious Angel showed plenty of speed when winning at Southwell last time. That was the filly’s second career start and she should be suited to the track and has a handy draw in stall 2.  Tom Dascombe runners are always worth a second look around here and he saddled the winner of the race in 2013.

David O’Meara saddled the winner in 2019. He runs Beauzon who made all to win at Ripon (good to firm) 11-days ago.  Stall three looks a positive and the colt shouldn’t be far away for a yard among the winners.

Lucy Lulu was a rare first time out early 2-year-old winner for Roger Fell when winning at Doncaster just 4-days ago. It’s a quick turn round for the filly but it would be folly to dismiss her claims.

2:15 – Weatherbys ePassport Cheshire Oaks (For The Robert Sangster Memorial Cup) (Listed Race) – 1m 3 ½ f

Looking the race trends. The market has been a good guide, those fillies sent off 3/1 or shorter are 8 winners from 17 runners 47% +6.73 13 placed 76% since 2008.

The standouts on juvenile form are Dubai Fountain and Zeyaadah.  Dubai Fountain ended last season with a career best effort when 4^th of 10 in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. Just a neck behind Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas winner Mother Earth. Her prominent style of running should be suited to the track.

Zeyaadah made it 3-3 when winning a Listed race at Newmarket (heavy) in October. She has a 3lb penalty to give away to her six rivals here. However, she’s open to more improvement as a 3-year-old and trainer Roger Varian saddled the winner in 2014.

John Gosden has saddled two of the last three winners of the race. He relies on Darlectable You who finished runner-up on her sole juvenile start and occupied the same spot at Newbury last time. A superbly bred filly being a full sister to Too Darn Hot & Lah Ti Dar. She needs to have improved again to win but it’s likely she can rate higher.

Coolmore have two representatives Nicest, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore.  The filly’s dam won the Irish Oaks so looks likely to improve for middle distances as a 3-year-old. Their other runner is La Joconde trained by Aidan O’Brien. A daughter of Frankel she’s a half-sister to Irish Derby winner Santiago and is another capable of more progress stepped up to 1m 4f. If I was to have bet in the race it would be a small stakes dabble on the Coolmore pair.

2:45 – tote+ At tote.co.uk Handicap (Class 2) – 5f

Cuban Breeze looks the likely pace angle here. A C&D winner as a juvenile she is one of two runners for Tom Dascombe, the other being Harmony Lil.  The filly made a pleasing return to action at Nottingham but didn’t build on that promise at Ripon next time. Still she's respected back over C&D from of a handy draw in stall 3.

Likely favourite is the lightly raced Showalong. The colt made it 2-5 when making all to win a soft ground novice at York (soft) on his final juvenile start. He shaped with real promise when 3 length 4^th of 13 at Thirsk (good to firm) last time. Both wins have come on soft ground so the recent rain will have been welcomed. Open to more improvement and trainer Tim Easterby won this with Copper Knight in 2017. Looks the one to beat

3:15 – Chester Vase Stakes (Group 3) – 1m 4 ½ f

The most valuable race on the card with £45,368 on offer to this year’s winner. Could we see a Derby contender emerge? 

Some of the gloss has been taken away by the non-participation of recent impressive Leopardstown winner Sir Lamorak who was taken out on Tuesday morning on account of the change in going.

The contenders

Aidan O’Brien will be represented by Sandhurst. The Galileo colt won a heavy ground maiden at Gowran Park as a juvenile but was never competitive on his seasonal reappearance in the Craven Stakes last time. Looks the sort to improve with racing and get’s the addition of the first time cheekpieces for his step up to middle distances.

Sandhurst faces just five rivals. Wirko looks set to head the market now after his win at Epsom last time. First go on rain softened ground but the dam won on heavy in Germany so he shouldn’t be inconvenienced by it.  The son of Kingman has trained on well from two to three and is the one to beat.

Law Of The Sea has won his last two at Kempton and Leicester (good to firm) and is open to further improvement.

Both Fancy Man’s juvenile wins came on soft/good to soft so there are no going issues for the colt. Low key return to action at Newmarket (good to firm) last month but the ground was quicker than he likes and he wasn’t subjected to a hard race. Conditions will be more to his liking today.

Youth Spirit's sole 2-year-old win came on soft ground. He finished one place ahead of Fancy Man at Newmarket and should come on for that run.

Osin Murphy has ridden Youth Spirit on his last three starts but he opts for the Roger Charlton trained Pleasant Man. The son of Galileo looked a nice prospect when winning on heavy ground on his racecourse debut last season.  Beaten favourite (5/6) on his Windsor (good to firm) return 23-days ago. Could be open to more progress in the first time cheekpieces and returning to softer ground.

Wednesday selection:

In truth it looks a tricky card from a punting perspective and the ones that I do fancy are pretty tight price wise.

Chester

2:45 – Showalong – 5/2 @ Bet365

Click here to Tweet this

Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John

John Burke is the tipster behind the long standing Victor Value service you can join him here – https://victorvalue.uk