Chester May Festival Day 2 – Tips Through Thursday’s Seven-race Card

Chester May Festival Thursday Tips

Chester is the main midweek attraction with the course playing host to three days of top-class action for their May Festival. In anticipation of what promises to be an unmissable card on the Roodee, our racing expert has produced tips through Thursday’s Day 2 card. Also, check out today’s best bets – which are free to view on site now.

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Look Out Louis (1.30, ICM Stellar Sports Handicap)

No more significant is the draw at Chester than in the sprint handicaps, and that’s a fact supported by the last nine winners of this event coming from stall 4 or lower.

That trend can be continued here courtesy of LOOK OUT LOUIS, who looked unfortunate to bump into a potential Group horse in Twilight Calls at Newmarket last month.

That brought his form figures under trainer Julie Camacho to an impressive 712131232132 and considering that the winner of that Newmarket contest is now rated 10lb higher, Look Out Louis appears to have been let in somewhat lightly here off just a pound higher mark. He can be backed with confidence to take advantage of stall 3 under Jason Hart, whose form figures when riding now read 121232.

There is a slight concern that there is an awful lot of pace on in this event, with the vast majority of this field liking to race prominently, and if they do go hard don’t be surprised to see Count D’orsay finishing best of all in a race he finished second 12 months ago, but it’s a concern that his losing run is currently at 19.

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My Little Tip (2.05, Deepbridge Handicap)

Both Outgate and City Runner are drawn well in stalls 1 and 2 respectively and the pair come into this on the back of solid turf runs, but it looks a little harsh that the handicapper put the pair up for those runs (3lb Outgate, 5lb City Runner), so improvement will be needed to land this prize.

Koy Koy should be respected on seasonal reappearance, as should Outside World, particularly if the latter is allowed to dominate, but preference instead goes to MY LITTLE TIP.

George Boughey’s colt looked like a horse going places at the backend of last season, racking up a hat-trick of wins within the space of eight days. His handicap mark suffered as a result (up 25lb), but My Little Tip was still well fancied to land a competitive Newbury race on seasonal reappearance eighteen days ago.

My Little Tip pulled far too hard in the early stages that day and as a result, had little left at the business end, but despite the bare form he still appeared to be travelling powerfully 2f out before it simply looked like a case of the early exertions taking their toll.

Hopefully, that first run back will have knocked the freshness out of My Little Tip, but even so, it would be a plus to see connections go back to a sheepskin noseband, as he wore that headgear for all three wins last year before it was removed for his Newbury reappearance.

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Sonny Liston (2.40, Homeserve Dee Stakes)

Plenty of questions surrounding the runners in this year’s Dee Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien has taken six of the last nine renewals and therefore his Star Of India must be respected, for all that on what he’s achieved up to now he looks mighty short in the betting at the 5/2 mark.

Cresta must prove his stamina up at this distance, with the hood presumably fitted to aid in that department, whilst Harrow is another that, on pedigree at least, looks up against it over this far.

Connections think plenty of Dubai Poet but he hasn’t exactly been hitting the line strongly over a mile and therefore there must be a big doubt over his ability to stay an extended 1m2f, particularly as his dam was a non-stayer on her only previous try over the distance.

Mr McCann is entitled to come on for this seasonal return, and therefore the turret turns towards SONNY LISTON here, who looked like a horse of some potential when bolting up in a Sandown novice on debut last year.

The bare form of that is certainly open to question, but Sonny Liston could only win as he did and connections pitched him into Listed company in the Fielden Stakes next time out, where Sonny Liston was far from disgraced in fourth having raced away from the main action.

That added racecourse experience will only benefit Charlie Hills’ colt, and the form received a boost when the winner Eydon finished fourth in Saturday’s 2000 Guineas. There’s plenty of stamina in Sonny Liston’s pedigree, so you’d have to expect he’s going to benefit from tackling this extended 1m2f for the first time, and therefore despite his wide draw expect this lad to be staying on when others in the line-up are beginning to cry enough.

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Albaflora (3.10, tote.co.uk Proud To Support Chester Racecourse Ormonde Stakes)

Probably not the strongest renewal of this contest, and in truth, it appears to provide ALBAFLORA with a good opportunity to make a winning seasonal reappearance.

Ralph Beckett’s mare went from strength to strength last season, occupying the runner-up spot in both the Yorkshire Oaks and Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, losing out on a head-bob in the latter.

The recent rainfall to have hit the Roudee will be of great benefit to Albaflora, and considering she ran out a 7l winner on last season’s reappearance, backing her fresh shouldn’t be a concern.

She’s got a good draw to her benefit here in stall 2 and is the one to beat on ratings, so rates as one of the strongest bets on the Day 2 card.

Thunderous ran better than the bare result at Newbury last month and wouldn’t be completely dismissed with blinkers back on, but the remainder all have their own questions to answer.

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Pride Of America (3.40, Boodles Raindance Handicap)

Quite an open renewal of this extended 1m2f handicap and it’s no surprise to see the lightly-raced Pride Of Priory head the betting. Exactly what this lad achieved by landing a match at Haydock when last seen is open to question, however, with the runner-up below par on his starts either side of that.

The vote goes to Amy Murphy’s PRIDE OF AMERICA, who has done well since returning from a 477-day absence, scoring (on stable debut) at Newcastle in March before finishing an admirable second returned to the turf at Pontefract next time.

On the latter occasion, Pride Of America was only headed late having set a strong pace on the front, and if he can replicate those tactics over this sharper circuit there’s every chance that he won’t be pegged back.

King Power Racing’s Group One Power is very well handicapped on his peak 3yo form, but he cut out worryingly tamely on return last month and is probably best watched on the back of that.

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Blatant (4.15, British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes)

The newcomer California Gem heads the market for this 5f maiden and has probably been showing a bit at home, but this might just provide BLATANT with a good opportunity to get off the mark at the third time of asking.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s charge was sent off as short as 7/1 for the Brocklesby back in March, finishing midfield, and was then backed into 11/8F for a Kempton novice where he bumped into Ocean Cloud, who finished runner-up in the Lily Agnes here yesterday.

At Kempton, Blatant raced keenly behind the leader and it might be that he’s best served blasting away in front here out of stall 1. If deploying those tactics his previous racecourse experience (particularly over the debutante California Gem) could prove crucial.

Tom Dascombe farmed this race in recent years and new Manor House Stables occupant Hugo Palmer will be hoping that his Self Praise can land this prize, but the draw has not been particularly kind in stall 8.

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Temple Of Artemis (4.50, Roofing Consultants Group Handicap)

An open 3yos handicap here, but it looks particularly notable that Aidan O’Brien sends TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS over to contest this, and therefore he rates the one to be with.

An eye-catching fourth in a Curragh maiden on debut last September, Temple Of Artemis was always likely to be the type to come into his own as a 3yo, and he added weight to that theory when finishing third on seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown last month.

Going up an extra two and a half furlongs can only be a plus on that evidence, and Temple Of Artemis has the pedigree to win here at Chester, being a brother to Kingfisher – winner of the Dee Stakes on this card back in 2014.

Expect him to be bounced out here from stall 1 and it seems very unlikely that a mark of 88 is ultimately going to prove the ceiling of Temple Of Artemis’ ability.

The dangers to the selection are headed by Hoffman, who came good on his handicap debut at Brighton last week and comes into this 2lb well in under a penalty. If handling this slower surface Andrew Balding’s charge can pose Temple Of Artemis most problems.