Friday 6th May 2022

Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)

Chester May Festival

Welcome to my preview for the concluding day of the May Festival and I’ll be kicking things off with the 1:30 which is a Class 2 Handicap that’s contested over seven and a half furlongs. I like the chances of Boardman here at 4/1 who represents Tim Easterby and is set to be ridden by Ben Curtis. The six-year-old is a real likeable sort and made the perfect return to the track last month when taking a handicap at Haydock by half of a length. He’ll contest this off just a couple of pounds higher than that success and this course and distance winner has every chance of putting in another bold performance as he so often does.

It’s the 2:05 I’m moving onto next which is another Class 2 Handicap this time over a mile and two and a half furlongs. I’ve taken a chance on Baryshnikov here who’s currently a 13/2 chance for David & Nicola Barron and the mount of Conor Beasley. He’s a course and distance winner who was last seen when winning impressively at Pontefract last month when making his seasonal reapperance. He’s been raised a further five-pounds for that success, however, in behind him in second on that day was Pride Of America who absolutely bolted up here on Thursday. If he turns up in the same form he’s got to be considered as a serious player.

The final race I’ll be looking at is the 3:15 which is the big one itself in the Chester Cup. The race is a Class 2 Handicap that’s contested over two miles and two and a half furlongs and it’s always an extremely competitive affair. I’ve actually tried my hand with two punts in the race with the first of those coming in the form of Solent Gateway at 9/2 for Hugo Palmer and Ben Curtis. He’s got a course win to his name having beat Mancini here back in August and he made a fine return to the track last month when finishing third at Epsom. It’s likely that he’ll be primed for this and I think he has a major chance. The other one I like here is Coltrane at 13/2 for Andrew Balding and Jason Watson. He won three on a bounce back in 2020 on the turf and has most recently been plying his trade on the all-weather, most recently finishing second at Kempton behind the smart dual-purpose horse Earlofthecotswolds. I think there could be a lot more to come from him now back on the turf and if getting a bit of luck in the run here he could well go close.