Chester May Festival tips: five horses to follow this week

Race: Weatherbys Digital Solutions Chesire Oaks

I was impressed with her return success at Leopardstown and, with improvement likely from that and now going up in trip, she can underline her Betfred Oaks credentials in Tuesday’s Listed heat.

She was the stable third-string according to the betting and made all the running to win at a track where prominent tactics can often be rewarded, but time of the race was better than the subsequent maiden for the colts and geldings won by stablemate The Prairie and some good subsequent winners finished behind her at Foxrock, the second and third Boogie Woogie and Azazat winning by big margins next-time out.

Aidan O’Brien has a fantastic record at the Chester May Festival, with 37 winners from 90 runners at this meeting (41.1%, +£56.72, 1.39 A/E).

Race: Boodles Dee Stakes

I like the form of the Silver Tankard at Pontefract last season and the winner can go close on his three-year-old debut in a really interesting renewal of Thursday’s Listed race.

Charlie Appleby doesn't have great figures from a small sample of runners at this meeting but his strong clutch of juvenile colts from last term is much more compelling (43.1% strike-rate from 102 runs) and the trainer has made a decent start with his three-year-old colts this season (four from 13, 30.8%, £4.33, 1.28 A/E).

Appleby can pick and choose his three-year-old targets this season from a strong squad and perhaps it's noteworthy that Local Dynasty rocks up here on his return, with this step-up to an extended 10 furlongs surely right up his street on pedigree and he did need every yard to win at Pontefract.

Local Dynasty is the sole runner here not to have hit the track yet this season, but horses making their seasonal returns in this have a good record this century (37 runners, 10 winners and four runners-up, +£26.28, 1.39 A/E).

Race: British EBF Ruby Anniversary Maiden Stakes

This unraced juvenile is the chosen representative for Richard Hannon in this class 2 novice on Thursday and from the yard’s original three entries. It will be interesting to see the weight of market support and how he fares.

Hannon has run some good horses in this, winning with excellent juvenile Mehmas in 2016 while the stable’s 2018 winner Wedding Date reached a career-high rating of 90.

The latest representative is by Footstepsinthesand and the stallion has proven a decent source of debut two-year-old winners since 2009 (9.7%, 1.13 A/E) while Hannon is four from 24 with such types (+£11, 1.79 A/E). They have included Larchmont Lad, Threat and Mums Tipple.

The yard has not had loads of runners here in the last decade but show decent figures, especially in novices/maidens (two winners and two runners-up from seven runners, £7.50, 1.71 A/E).

Race: Deepbridge Capital Handicap

Andrew Balding has a good record in handicaps at the Chester May Meeting and this handicap debutant looks a likely type for the in-form trainer under Oisin Murphy.

Vetiver made all and in easy style at Beverley last time and he’s well-placed to adopt similarly aggressive tactics once again from a good draw in stall 2, while progeny of Twilight Son notably improve from two years (7.6%) to three years (11.3%).

From 53 handicap runs at this meeting in the last 20 years, Balding has saddled 10 winners while a further 17 have placed (+£15.83, 1.33 A/E).

Race: Precision Facades Handicap

He fared better the result suggests and posted decent closing splits in the Magnolia Stakes behind Foxes Tales on his reappearance and he's one to keep an eye on in the second race on Friday.

Most of the protagonists raced prominently at Kempton and Savvy Victory may have finished second in that Listed race despite challenging from the rear and then being denied a clear run in the closing stages.

He showed good form last term and his back-end run behind Ottoman Fleet in the James Seymour Stakes looks even better now, while I’d expect this very well-bred colt by New Bay to be even better this year.

Trainer Sean Woods has not had a winner at Chester, but all five of his runners to try so far ran at the track last year – and four finished second!