The Chester May Festival is a highly significant fixture in the flat racing calendar as it is regularly used as a springboard to the Classics at Epsom.
The Roodee is such a unique racecourse with its tight turns and sweeping bends that it takes a certain type of horse to deal with it. A horse that shows agility at Chester often does very well a few weeks later at Epsom.
The Chester Meeting this week includes three recognised Epsom trials – the Cheshire Oaks and the Chester Vase on Wednesday, plus the Dee Stakes on Thursday.
2018 saw a change to the running order of the three days, with the opening day; City Day, serving as ‘trials day’ for both the Investec Derby and Investec Oaks.
Ladies Day offers up style both on and off the track with the Homeserve Dee Stakes and Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes, serving as a qualifying WH Stayer’ Million race, taking centre stage.
A new partner joins Chester Racecourse in 2019 as sponsor of both the prestigious Chester Cup and Chester Plate; SportPesa begin a new venture into horseracing by affiliating with the most valuable race in Chester’s season.
The Group 2 Homeserve Huxley Stakes will complete an enthralling card of seven on the final emphatic day of the three-day extravaganza.
Wednesday Trends (Credit: Paul Jones)
1.50pm - Lily Agnes.
Positives: Trained by Mark Johnston, Tom Dascombe, David Evans or Hugo Palmer. Last-time-out winner. Fillies.
Negatives: Start at bigger than 5/1. Maidens. Unplaced last time out Drawn in stall 1.
2.25pm - Cheshire Oaks.
Positives: Likely to start at no bigger than 5/2. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden and Marcus Tregoning. Won last time out.
Negatives: Seasonal debutantes. Not finishing first or second last time out.
3.00pm - Diamond Handicap.
Positives: Drawn 3-5. Officially rated between 85-89. Trained by Eric Alston, Tom Dascombe, David Barron & Tim Easterby.
Negatives: Drawn higher than 8. Likely to start at 10/1+
3.35pm - Chester Vase.
Positives: Trained by Aidan O’Brien. Drawn 1 or 2. The favourite. Non Group race winners.
Negatives: Seasonal debutants.
Thursday Trends:
2.25pm - Dee Stakes.
Positives: Trained by Aidan O’Brien. The favourite. Seasonal debutants.
Negatives: Failed to finish first or second last time out.
Aidan O’Brien is responsible for six of the 18 entries for the Dee Stakes as he goes for an eighth success in the Listed contest.
The Ballydoyle trainer has entered Circus Maximus, Turnberry Isle, Anthony Van Dyck, Mohawk, Norway and Western Australia, but the last four also hold entries in the Chester Vase on Wednesday.
Other Dee possibles are doubly engaged – Arthur Kitt, King Ottokar and Living Legend among them.
Promising types include Andrew Balding’s emphatic Newbury maiden scorer Fox Chairman, Sir Michael Stoute’s Almania and the John Gosden-trained Private Secretary.
3.00pm - Deepbridge Capital Handicap Stakes.
Positives: The favourite. Trained by Mark Johnston, David Evans and Andrew Balding.
Negatives: Northern trained (except Mark Johnston). Drawn 6+. Likely to start at bigger than 7/1. Carry under 11st.
3.35pm - Ormonde Stakes.
Positives: Trained by Sir Michael Stoute or Aidan O’Brien. Four-year-olds. Won a Group race. Contested the John Porter Stakes. Won at Chester.
Negatives: Outside of the first two in the market. Officially rated under 110. More than one run earlier in the season. Saddled with a Group 1 or Group 2 penalty.
Classic winners Kew Gardens and Latrobe feature among 11 entries for the Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes.
Kew Gardens landed the St Leger for Aidan O’Brien and could come up against Latrobe, trained by his son, Joseph.
Latrobe, who took the Irish Derby, has an alternative engagement in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh on Monday.
O’Brien senior has also entered Cypress Creek while Warnaq, from Matthew Smith’s County Meath yard, is a fourth Irish possible.
Friday Trends:
2.25pm - Huxley Stakes.
Positives: Trained by Sir Michael Stoute or Aidan O’Brien. Four-year-olds. Won a Group race. Contested the John Porter Stakes. Won at Chester.
Negatives: Outside of the first two in the market. Officially rated under 110. More than one run earlier in the season. Saddled with a Group 1 or Group 2 penalty.
3.35pm - Chester Cup.
Positives: Drawn 1-7. Trained by a handler best known for jumps racing. Trained by Richard Fahey and Ian Williams. Four-year-olds .Likely to start at no bigger than 12/1. Owned by Dr Marwan Koukash .A recent good run.
Negatives: Aged 8+. Previous course winners outside of the Chester Cup.
Last year’s winner Magic Circle heads the 48 remaining entries for the feature race of the week - the Chester Cup.
The Ian Williams-trained seven-year-old carried the colours of owner Marwan Koukash to a victory 12 months ago and was just as impressive when following up in the Group Three Henry II Stakes at Sandown just three weeks later.
He was well fancied for the Melbourne Cup but disappointed there and to defend his Chester Cup crown he must concede weight all round.
Magic Circle is one of 14 possible runners for Williams, who also saddled Bulwark to win this prize in 2008. Williams has also confirmed Shabeeb, Speedo Boy and Faithful Mount, among others.
The ante-post betting is headed by Mark Johnston’s Austrian School, who picked up a 3lb penalty for his easy win at Musselburgh and is a previous winner at the track.
The Irish challenge is headed by the Willie Mullins-trained Low Sun – winner of the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last season.
Mullins also has Whiskey Sour in the line up, while Tony Martin has five contenders in Mr Everest, Golden Spear, Newcross, Drakensberg and Nibiru.
Other interesting entries at this stage include Andrew Balding’s Cleonte and Who Dares Wins from Alan King’s yard.
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If you’re combining a few events at Chester this week, for example the Chester Vase, Ormonde Stakes and the Chester Cup, then don’t forget to use our handy bet calculator to work out your stake and your returns.
