Chester Wednesday tips: Alex Hammond best bets

It feels like spring may finally be here given I’m about to pack to head to Chester for the Boodles May Festival which kicks off on Wednesday.

We are in the middle of Classics and Classic trials with the Guineas done and dusted and Derby and Oaks clues now taking centre stage.

Chaldean was pretty good in the 2000 Guineas, with Frankie Dettori once again stealing the headlines; what are we going to do without him? As I said last week, Oisin Murphy is back in the picture, and he’ll be thrilled to have finished second in the colts' Classic and to have won the 1000 Guineas on Mawj.

He speaks very well and is engaging and helpful to us in the media, but there are few that can match Frankie’s charisma when he’s on top form. Maybe when Murphy lets his guard down in time, we can see more of his sparkle. I love watching his analysis pieces of the big races on social media and hopefully that will be something he’ll do more of in the future.

Will Frankie Dettori or Oisin Murphy shine at Chester?

Murphy has a steady stream of decent rides on the Roodee this week, before heading to Lingfield on Derby and Oaks trial day on Saturday. Frankie could bag one or two as well, but who can forget the complete domination of Ryan Moore at Chester last year?

Tom Marquand sustained a nasty cut after being kicked on the arm on his way to post at Newmarket on Friday but remarkably is set to return with two rides on Wednesday. He could well be celebrating after the second race as he rides Squealer for Nigel Tinkler in the absence of regular rider Rowan Scott, who is suspended.

His mount was last seen in the Cornwallis in October and I hope he can make a winning start to his handicap career. He’s well drawn down on the inside and will hopefully be a bit of value.

The Cheshire Oaks has been won by some wonderful fillies over the years, including Enable in 2017, who went on to win the Oaks. Frankie was on board that day and he gets the leg up on Luckin Brew for Ralph Beckett here.

She may struggle to beat the Aidan O’Brien trained favourite Savethelastdance, who is current ante post market leader for the Oaks itself at Epsom. Moore will equal the late, great, Pat Eddery’s record of six wins in the Chester contest if he wins on that filly.

The Chester Vase is next, with five colts and geldings declared for the Group Three contest. This one may go to Frankie who gets on the John and Thady Gosden trained Arrest, a colt who has already acquitted himself well at the highest level in France on his final two-year-old start.

I actually think Tinkler can celebrate a first day double as he saddles Lakota Blue in the three-year-old six-furlong handicap. Faye McManoman gets on well with this horse, who should progress this season.

My final day one selection is Paws For Thought who has a good record round the Roodee. He goes in an uber-competitive seven-furlong handicap at 4.55 and he has a good record fresh, so it doesn’t worry me that we haven’t seen him yet this season.

On Thursday the Dee Stakes and Ormonde are the two big races. The former hasn’t produced a Derby winner since Kris Kin in 2003 and I’m not sure it will be providing us with Epsom clues this year.

Having said that there are some potentially smart horses in the line-up, including Local Dynasty, who has only been beaten once in his career and won a nice-looking Listed race at Pontefract on his final start as a juvenile. There will be more to come from this son of Dubawi, who is trained by Charlie Appleby.

Passenger won the Wood Ditton for Sir Michael Stoute, and he wouldn’t be running if the trainer didn’t feel there was more to come. Aidan O’Brien has won the race nine times, incredibly that’s not the record number for a trainer as Barry Hills bagged 11! O’Brien runs San Antonio, who is currently a big price for Epsom.

The Ormonde looks like a cracker with a competitive field which includes last year’s winner Hamish. William Haggas is operating at a slightly lower strike rate than usual and that puts me off a touch. This one could do to O’Brien/Moore with last year’s Chester Vase winner Changingoftheguard, who went on to win at Royal Ascot.

I’m hoping for a good run from Nobody Told Me in the extended mile and a half handicap at 4.55. He appreciated the step up to this trip at Doncaster last time out but will need all the luck if he’s to be ridden with the same sort of restraint round Chester. Sovereign Spirit and Cantora look to be his main dangers.

Declarations haven’t been made for Friday at the time of writing, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Boardman run in the opening seven-and-a-half furlong handicap. He caught my eye at Haydock last time out and he loves it round Chester. He’s one of my main fancies of the week.

The biggie on Friday is the Chester Cup where the ante post-favourite Novel Legend needs a few to come out to get a run when the final fields are established on Wednesday.

Falcon Eight won this two years ago for Dermot Weld and Frankie Dettori and he could run again with Ryan Moore up this time. He was rated 104 then and is 108 now. If we get plenty of rain, then Metier would be one to keep on side for Harry Fry and Saffie Osborne. We’ll have to wait to see who runs and where they are drawn before making any final conclusions.

I’ll be there for Sky Sports Racing, and I can’t wait. Here’s to a few winners across the week.

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.