2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Preview – DS
2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Preview
It was a day to forget for us on Wednesday. Alfa Moonstone completely blew the start but she showed she had ability and is one to keep an eye on next time. Sisyphus Strength was backed but ran as though something was amiss. Commander Straker was withdrawn at the start so at least we only had two losers. We go again on Thursday, check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting tips below.
1.30 – CAA Stellar Handicap (Class 2)
The last time I was racing at Chester back in 2019 I got chatting to David Evans in the queue to get in. The Welsh trainer is some character and I told him I had tipped one of his in the Lily Agnes. He told me she’d run well (she did, 4th beat 1.5L) but that Lihou would win, and he did. At 8/1. Four years on and Lihou is still going strong and he is the 3/1 fav to get a third Chester win on the board. He’ll be thereabouts at 3/1.
He is due to face seven other rivals but the soft ground may well cause some withdrawals. All but one of the remaining runners are single figure odds so this race doesn’t make much appeal as a betting heat. If there is a non-runner there’ll only be two places on offer e/w so we’ll sit this one out. No bet.
2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Tip: No bet
2.05 – Deepbridge Capital Handicap (Class 2)
There’s already been a scratching in this race with Coco Jack taken out by George Scott. That leaves us with eight but given the weather, that could reduce further. This is a tight contest and again, it is hard to make a case for either of the double figure priced horses. True Statesman was an impressive winner here last July over 7f but that was on good ground. He’s flopped both previous tries on ground with soft in the description.
Self Aclaim is from a yard that targets this meeting but he has never raced on turf. Looking at his pedigree, he is related to a couple of fast ground winners that didn’t handle testing ground so he is definitely best watched in these conditions. Promoter will like the ground and he is from a family I like but he usually starts slowly and that rarely ends well at Chester. Vetiver has a nice draw in stall 2, she likes an ease and she looks the one to beat at 10/3. It’s another race we’ll be giving a wide berth to though, no bet.
2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Tip: No bet
2.40 – Boodles Dee Stakes (Listed)
Over this 10f trip the draw is not quite as important and at 22/1, Lose Your Wad is the e/w selection here from stall 7. This Kempton maiden winner is trained by Charlie Hills, a trainer with a decent record at Chester. From 118 runners he has had 10 winners and 52 top 4 finishers, a frame hitting strike rate of over 50%. His horses are absolutely flying right now and the form of this lad’s maiden win has been franked.
Royal Cape, a head back in 2nd, hacked up by 10L in a Windsor Novice next time out. Abu Royal was 7L back in 6th and he won an Ayr maiden by 2L on his last start. Lose Your Wad is unraced on soft ground but he is by Muhaarar, a stallion that has produced numerous soft ground (and heavy ground) winners. His half-brothers Mask Of Time, Milestone and Mahari all handled an ease so hopefully, Lose Your Wad follows in their hoofsteps.
The likes of Alder, Local Dynasty and San Antonio are all entitled to respect but the bookies haven’t missed them. Hadrianus ran here yesterday so he is unlikely to take his chance. That means there’ll only be two places on offer for e/w players but even so, Lose Your Wad is still worth backing each way at odds of 22/1.
2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Tip: Lose Your Wad e/w @ 22/1
3.15 – Ormonde Stakes (Group 3)
A G3 for the older horses over a trip of 13.5f. They were finishing strung out like the washing in yesterday’s middle distance races and this trip will take some getting if conditions are similar today. One horse in here who is guaranteed to go on the ground no matter how testing it gets is Sunchart for the Slatterys.
Thos 6yo has amazingly won just one race, a poor return for a horse of his ability. Now a 6yo, the son of Teofilo has run some huge races in defeat, including in a heavy ground Listed contest at Naas two runs ago. In that heat he finished 2nd of 8, 1.75L behind Visualisation. He landed the Mooresbridge Stakes (G2) at the Curragh last weekend so it is rock solid form.
At Naas last November he was beat a head in another Listed contest by Duke De Sessa. He’s rated 110 and he wasn’t beaten far in an Aussie G1 handicap next time out. Sunchart’s sole win came at Tipperary, a sharp left handed flat track, and Chester is pretty similar. Hamish is clearly the one to beat here but if Sunchart can reproduce the form of his second to Visualisation, he will outrun his odds of 33/1.
2023 Day 2 Chester May Meeting Tip: Sunchart e/w @ 33/1 NAP
3.45 – TMT Group Handicap (Class 3)
The one I’ll take a chance on at a half decent price in this 10.5f handicap is Jean Baptiste. By Invincible Spirit, this 6yo is trained by Roger Fell. Tom Marquand is booked for the ride and at odds of 14/1, he has place claims at the very least. This horse is a former course and distance winner, on good ground, but he does handle softer conditions too.
That C&D win came in June last year off 80. He then followed up off 82 at Hamilton and he gets in off a pound lower today. At York on his penultimate start of 2022 he was beat 0.75L off 85 at York so there is no doubt that he is capable of going close off his current rating of 81.
In 2021 he was beat just 3L off 86 here on good to soft ground, his only other run at the track. This horse usually front runs, so his draw in 13 is a worry. However, he may not face much competition for the lead so if he can get out of the stalls quickly, he might just be able to tack across. Tom Marquand was beat 0.5L into 2nd on his only previous spin on this fella, hopefully he can do the same today (or even go one better) at odds of 14/1.
