Thursday 7th May 2026
The second day of the May Festival at Chester gets underway at 1.30 on Thursday with a Class 2 handicap, which is ridden over five furlongs. I like the chances of the Hugo Palmer-trained ROMAN DRAGON in this particular contest, who’s the mount of the champion jockey Oisin Murphy. He’s been campaigned in Bahrain throughout the winter and the early spring, and should be plenty fit enough for this assignment. Most notably, however, is his love affair with this racecourse. He’s got a staggering record at this track, with seven wins to his name, including the Listed Queensferry Stakes just last August, and this race twelve months ago. His success here last year came off the same mark as his current one, and he’s hard to see out of the frame if he shows his usual form at this venue.
I move on to the 2.35 for my second selection of the day, and this is the Listed Dee Stakes over a mile and two and a half furlongs. Aidan O’Brien has won the last four runnings of this race, and I think he has a very strong chance of taking it again this time around with CONSTITUTION RIVER, who’s the mount of Ryan Moore. He’s my best bet of the day on Thursday, and should take a lot of beating here. He landed short odds at Galway to open his account in July, and then followed up with Group 2 success at the Curragh in August, when winning the Futurity Stakes over seven furlongs. He steps up in distance on his first outing of this campaign, which should suit him given his pedigree, and he looks a highly exciting prospect for his top team.
The feature race on Thursday comes up at 3.05, which is the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes over a mile and five and a half furlongs. This is another contest in which O’Brien has a fine record, winning three of the last five renewals with smart stayers such as Japan, Point Lonsdale, and, most recently, Illinois, who’ll look to retain his crown this year. I think Illinois may struggle to live with stablemate JAN BRUEGHEL, who’s Ryan Moore’s choice here. He’s clear on official ratings in this contest, and if he’s anywhere near his best form, he should prove tough to beat. He won the Coronation Cup at last year’s Royal Ascot meeting, getting the better of the superstar Calandagan by half of a length, as well as winning the 2024 St Leger. This is a top-class stayer, and he should go very close here before embarking on another profitable campaign.
My fourth and final selection of the afternoon comes within the 3.40, and this is a Class 2 handicap which is contested over seven and a half furlongs. This is competitive, however, I’ve come down on the George Boughey-runner MCMURRAY, who’s the mount of Billy Loughnane. The 2000 Guineas-winning connections team up again here with another lively and progressive contender. He comes into the race having signed off his campaign last term with three straight victories, with the last two being back-to-back wins within handicap company. He starts off this time around just two pounds higher than his most recent success at Yarmouth back in October, and he has to be considered as a big player if he continues his current rate of progression.
Thursday Selections
Chester May Festival (Day 2)
1.30 Chester
ROMAN DRAGON – (10/3) (Win)
2.35 Chester
CONSTITUTION RIVER – (Evs) (Win) (NAP)
3.05 Chester
JAN BRUEGHEL – (6/4) (Win) (NB)
3.40 Chester
MCMURRAY – (9/2) (Each-Way) (4 places)
