Horse racing tips: three for Chester and Kelso

Aidan O’Brien will be hoping his staying three-year-olds do much better than his Guineas runners at the Chester May Meeting. There is also a really good card of jumping at Kelso for National Hunt fans on RacingTV as well. 

Idem could be very interesting over this trip of two and three-quarter miles, especially as the number of front-runners in this field suggests the pace should be strong. 

Jockey Patrick Wadge rode him to get the trip when he was upped to three miles last time out and probably gave him too much to do at the end. On his previous start Idem was going well and poised to challenge when he fell, so the six-year-old has not had the best of luck recently. Previously he had won two novice hurdles, including at this track.

His handicap mark has been dropped a couple of pounds since he ran at Ascot but it is possible he could be well ahead of his mark now and he may have ideal circumstances to show that here. 

The nine-year-old had a disappointing time of things last season but, as a consequence, finds himself very well handicapped for the start of this season and I am happy to give him a chance here.

Pay The Piper has been very competitive off marks in the 140s but perhaps lost his confidence jumping in high-level handicaps. Trainer Ann Hamilton put him back over hurdles recently, presumably to boost his confidence, and it might well have worked well. Pay The Piper ran really well on his latest start, back over fences at Newcastle, when finishing second to a useful and progressive chaser. 

Ann Hamilton’s last two runners have both won, so the small stable is clearly in form and hopefully those good spirits have rubbed off on Pay The Piper for this contest.

Roger Fell & Sean Murray have hit form in style in the last few days and I am relying on Oso Rapido to follow the example of his stablemates and pick his game up after two very poor runs this year. 

He was winning off a mark of 82 at Catterick Bridge only four starts ago and the six-year-old has been dropped to a mark of 79 here. I am convinced he hasn’t given his running so far this season, and with Hollie Doyle booked to ride and a decent draw in stall 5, I am expecting a better run over his ideal trip.