After the wonderful Guineas weekend and the controversy of the Kentucky Derby, the top class racing continues this week with the May Meeting at Chester. The meeting is live on ITV4 for those of us in the UK and features some excellent races. We’ve gone through the card for Wednesday and picked out three standout bets.
1.50 Chester
Preview
The Lilys Agnes condition stakes for 2 years over 5 furlongs kicks off proceedings and this looks an open race.
Show Me Show Me, who won the Brocklesby on his only start, is the favourite but has a wide draw of 8 to overcome in addition to the 3lb penalty he carries.
Electric Ladybird is another with sound claims but a tough draw to get past, having been drawn even wider in stall 10. She has won from wide draws on both her runs, making all on each occasion, but a smaller field and a less turning track will have helped.
Great Dame won her 2nd start, making all at Ripon where she stepped up markedly on her debut effort. She has a decent draw in 3 too.
Betting
At the prices, preference is for once raced Top Buck, drawn in 3. He was 2nd at Windsor where he ran well for a long way, upsides the winner entering the final furlong. The stable’s runners usually improve for a run so improvement is expected which is a good sign given he’s recorded the 3rd highest Topspeed in the field behind the 2 market leaders with draw issues to overcome. At much bigger odds, this one looks worthy of each way money.
Tips
Back Top Buck (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 8.00 Bet365 BOG (⅕ odds 1-3)
Place a single bet in any live selected races. If your horse wins at SP odds of 3/1 or greater, you will receive a free bet to the same value of your stake, up to 25.
3.00 Chester
Preview
A very decent looking Class 2 handicap over the minimum trip, this time for 3 year olds.
Top Breeze heads the market and is a horse that did this column a big favour a few weeks back but is being opposed this time. He’s got 3 wins from 4 career starts and is 2 from 2 this term but, despite the best of the draw in 1, he’s up 6lb for his win last time out at Newmarket and faces a very different challenge around the tight turns of Chester.
Angel Alexander, She Can Boogie and Society Queen have solid form in the book but all make their seasonal reappearance which is a concern given that the last 8 winners had all been seen this term, with 6 of those having last run in the previous 14 days.
Leodis Dream is a last time out winner and has 4 wins from 5 career starts. That win was a Sandown less than 2 weeks where he prevailed in a 4 horse blanket finish. He’s been raised 4lbs for that win.
Betting
4th in that blanket finish was Recon Mission who reopposes here and he’s 2lbs better off with the winner here, at more than twice the price. He does have a wide draw in still 8 but given this race has loads of pace, staying out of the early melee might not be a bad thing. Add to that he has winning form on easy ground and the rain is expected to hit overnight, his claims are pretty sound. He may need a bit of luck in running but at double figure odds, it’s worth paying to find out.
Tips
PLACED – Back Recon Mission (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 11.00 Betway BOG (⅕ odds 1-3)
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3.35 Chester
Preview
The final TV race is the Group 3 Chester Vase for those Derby hopefuls, the race being run over 1 mile 4 furlongs for 3 year old colts and geldings. 6 of the last 7 winners had run this season and the last 6 winners all won last time out.
Aiden O’Brien holds the key to this race having won 5 of the last 6 and 7 of the last 10. He runs 3 in this including the favourite, Norway. The concern is that this is his first run of the season and he may struggle should the ground turn soft.
His main rivals from this side of the pond appear to be King Ottokar and Technician. The former won on his reappearance at Newbury and is one that seems to need underfoot conditions to turn soft whilst the latter was an unlucky 2nd to Bangkok in the Sandown Classic Trial and is a danger to all.
Sir Dragonet, the 2nd of the O’Brien runners, won on his only start, over this trip in a maiden.
Betting
However, his 3rd runner, Gentle Bellini, is the selection. A very expensive yearling (at 2,000,000 Guineas), he’s taken time to find his feet but finally won at the 3rd time of asking when upped to a more suitable trip of 10 furlongs. The extra 2 furlongs should bring about further improvement and should this track where front running tactics from an inside draw could again pay dividends. He dominated a big field last time out, winning as easy as you like, so this smaller field could prover easier to make all in, albeit the class of opponent is better. On breeding, rain wouldn’t be an issue so the current odds on offer look more than generous.
Tips
VOID – Back Gentle Bellini (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 Boylesports BOG (⅕ odds 1-3)
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