Chester Races May Festival 2023 Day 1 Betting Tips

Read our Chester betting tips for day 1 of the 2023 Boodles May Festival below where we should get some clues to the Derby and Oaks through this midweek action.

There are always free bets up for grabs on the horse racing and during the ITV coverage, why not grab one of these offers to spend the bookies money on your bets instead of your own.

 

1:30 Chester

The opener of the Chester May Meeting is the Lily Agnes Conditional Stakes over the 5f dash for the 2 year-olds.

I like PARKSIDE BOY (13/2) here coming over from Ireland. The emphasis on getting to the front and an inside draw isn’t as important when the ground is on the soft side and Parkside Boy is likely to get a decent pace to aim at similar to when he won on debut at Dundalk last month. That was over the 5f trip and around a bend which is obviously similar to this track. I’m hoping that experience will serve him well and he’s a definite player in here.

 

2:05 Chester

The 2:05 from Chester is another 5f contest, this time a trappy handicap.

I’d chance DANGER ALERT (8/1) EW in this. Ignore his disappointing effort last time out at Newcastle and he’d arguably be favourite coming into this. He was progressing nicely winning over 5f at Wolverhampton back in February. He then stepped up to 6f and came second at Lingfield before going one better at Kempton in March. He has a nice draw in stall 5 here and the George Boughey stable are in great form at present. I think he can bounce back here under William Buick.

 

2:40 Chester

The 2:40 race is the Cheshire Oaks, a listed contest over the 1m4f distance which can often provide a few clues for the Oaks itself.

I think SAVETHELASTDANCE (4/7) will take this before bigger targets await. She improved a lot from her debut at Thurles to win a maiden at Leopardstown in impressive fashion last month. She relished the step up to 1m2f and this extra 2f again is bound to bring out further improvement again. She’s proven with cut underfoot and no one rides this track better than Ryan Moore.

 

3:15 Chester

Next up is the Group 3 Chester Vase over 1m4f, the first Derby trail of the week.

I’d chance HADRIANUS (5/1) here who comes here after a fine second at Epsom behind Epictetus last month. At the prices, I’m hoping he can put that fitness edge to use here. He was a decent winner at Kempton prior to that and with this being just his fourth career start, he’s open to improvement just as much as his rivals. Frannie Norton is an obvious bonus in the saddle around the Roudee.

 

3:45 Chester

We end ITV coverage with the 3:45 race, another tricky handicap, this time over the 6f trip restricted to 3 year-olds.

It’s ROYAL DRESS (3/1) NAP for me here. She has a lovely draw in stall 3 here and with Ryan Moore in the saddle, I’m sure there will be no excuses. She was an impressive winner at Doncaster last month making all to win going away at the line. She is open to significant more improvement to my eye and a current mark of 80 may well underestimate her. Tough to beat.

 

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