2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Tips – DS
2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Preview
We finally managed to land more than one place on Sunday. Our 25/1 e/w NAP Torcello ran a mighty race and led everywhere bar on the line. Our NB Crackovia ran well too, just missing place money in fourth. Hidden Dimples never raised a gallop but Matilda Picotte certainly did. She beat them all easily bar the first two and she landed our 50/1 e/w place money in style. This week the focus switches to the Roudee, check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting tips below.
1.30 – Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes (Class 2)
Sprints at Chester are more often than not very draw dependent. Front runners drawn low that break well are usually very hard to peg back around this tight, turning track. Previous experience has proved to be important too in recent years. No horse has won this on debut for the last 20 years but I’m hoping that up and coming trainer Craig Lidster can maybe buck that trend with his filly Alfa Moonstone.
This March filly is by an excellent 2yo sire Havana Grey. However, it is the dam side of his page that makes her of interest. She is out of Blithe Spirit, a Chester specialist. That mare was second in this race as a 2yo back in 2013, admittedly on her third start, and she was a five time winner there during her career, including twice as a 2yo in handicap company.
She was a nippy front runner who made all for every one of her Chester wins. If Alfa Moonstone is fast from the gate, she is perfectly drawn in stall 2 to follow the same blueprint. Craig Lidster has already had a juvenile win on debut this season and Paul Hanagan was on board. He is 2/6 on Lidster 2yos and he has finished out of the first four just twice. Ziggy’s Phoenix is probably the one to beat but she’s just 5/2. Alfa Moonstone is 16/1 and she is worth a small investment e/w.
2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Tip: Alfa Moonstone e/w @ 16/1
2.05 – Tote Handicap (Class 3)
Another sprint and another race where the draw is important. The market leader, Jer Batt, is drawn 12 of 14 so favourite backers will be looking to Billy Loughnane to conjure up a bit of magic. It won’t be easy from out there though. From a better draw, though not perfect, in stall 7 maybe his Dad’s horse Wakai Umi can make a bold bid if breaking well.
When this horse last ran in January Billy rode and he went off far to fast in front at Wolverhampton. Previously, Luke Morris won on her over the same C&D off 74 and she is only a pound higher this afternoon. This daughter of Kuroshio was previously trained by Ciaran Murphy in Ireland and she won twice for him, at Dundalk off 66 and at Naas off 58.
That Naas win came on good to yielding so today’s ground should be fine and she is usually fast from the gates so hopefully she can tack across towards the rail. Kieran O’Neill has 3 wins and 11 top 4 finishes from 33 rides for Loughnane, hopefully he can improve on that record with Wakai Umi at odds of 20/1.
2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Tip: Wakai Umi e/w @ 20/1 (4 places)
2.40 – Cheshire Oaks (Listed)
The first stakes race of the week at Chester is the Listed Cheshire Oaks for the ladies. Nine are due to go to post and Aidan O’Brien, a seven time winner of this since 2008, has the odds on favourite in Savethelastdance. By Galileo, this filly was well beat on debut on soft ground at Thurles as a 2yo. She clearly wintered well though because she looked a different horse when winning at odds of 20/1 on her comeback at Leopardstown (10f hvy). The second and third have won since.
You’d imagine good to soft ground should suit her better and Ryan Moore takes over from Wayne Lordan in the saddle. She’s a nice prospect but should she be as short as 8/11? The Coolmore mafia also run Luckin Brew, trained by Ralph Beckett. She is a daughter of Lope De Vega and Frankie rides. Already placed at Listed level on good to soft, she has achieved more than the fav and I’m not sure there should be such a big gap between them in the market.
Balding In Form
As we saw at the weekend, Andrew Balding’s horses are in great nick. Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas for him at Newmarket and he was his second winner of the day at HQ and his third overall. Oisin Murphy was on board his earlier winner at Newmarket but he rides for Martyn Meade here. Instead, David Egan gets the leg up on Sisyphus Strength and I’m guessing he’s been booked because he won on her on his only try.
That was a fast ground Nottingham maiden over a mile and she then dipped her toe in Listed company at Newmarket over the same trip on softer ground. She was a step slow from the gates that day and she got crowded in the early stages. That lit her up and then she was fighting for a gap as the race began to take shape. The first three had flown but she stayed on very nicely and on that evidence, this sort of trip should suit.
The daughter of Sea The Stars was 4L behind the winner Caernarfon, 4th in the 1000 Guineas. The runner up was recently 4th in an Irish G3 and the third got to within a head of Mawj in Meydan next time out. Balding’s last three runners in this race have produced form figures of 344 and on that Newmarket form, her rating of 89 might underestimate her ability.
She does have 5L to find with Luckin Brew from when they met at Kempton but she was making her debut whereas Beckett’s horse had two runs under her belt. Over this longer distance she should be a lot closer to that rival and at 16/1, Sisyphus Strength is worth backing e/w.
2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Tip: Sisyphus Strength e/w @ 16/1 NAP
3.15 – Chester Vase Stakes (Group 3)
Just the five runners and a short priced favourite in the form of Arrest. His Saint Cloud G1 second was boosted by Dubai Mile in the 2000 Guineas and he is effective on fast and slow ground. Adelaide River was 6.25L back in 3rd in that Saint Cloud race but she may well finish closer on this less taxing ground.
Those two set the standard but Hadrianus ran well in a Listed race last time and the Chester Assassin Franny Norton is on board. Michael Bell’s Duke Of Oxford destroyed a 69 rated horse last time but this is a whole lot harder. He’s never raced on turf either. Galactic Jack has come up short on both starts in pattern company and he is hard to fancy. This should be fought out by the top three in the betting and it’s a race to just watch. No bet.
2023 Day 1 Chester May Meeting Tip: No Bet
3.45 – Camden Pale Handicap (Class 3)
Another race where the draw will be pivotal. Since 2003, only five winners have been drawn higher than stall 8. From stall 5, maybe Commander Straker can go well for David Loughnane and Rossa Ryan. This son of Kodi Bear has had four starts and never finished out of the first three. He ran a cracker in a valuable conditions race at Epsom on his last start of 2022 in June and he hasn’t been seen since.
Previously, he made all at Bath (5f gd) to break his maiden after 2nds at Newbury (5f gd) and Wetherby (5.5f gd). That Epsom run was his first try at 6f and considering he raced a bit freely early doors, it was a more than decent effort.
His trainer has his string in good form and he does well at Chester. He has 9 winners and 40 top 4 finishes from 104 previous runners at the track. David Lowe likes having competitive runners at Chester too, with 2 wins and 16 top 4s from just 26 runners. On pedigree a bit of cut should be fine and once he is fit for his first run of the season, he should run well at odds of 14/1.
