Wednesday Chester Placepot Tips from Architect

Leg 1 Selections: Balon D’or, Parkside Boy, Ziggy’s Dream

We welcome the Boodles May Festival at Chester and in leg 1 we have CAA Stellar Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes, a race that is prone to producing nice two-year-old’s and we have a talented bunch of competitors to digest in this year’s renewal. 

Hugo Palmer holds an impressive 24% strike-rate at the course and while his debutant Tierney is sure to attract plenty of attention with Oisin Murphy booked to ride, stablemate BALON D’OR could hold the key to the race and gets the main vote. 

He dug deep to hold off the challenge of a subsequent winner at Musselburgh on debut and despite a wide draw in stall 11, this highly-regarded youngster has solid each-way claims in what is a wide-open starter on the Roodee. 

PARKSIDE BOY defeated an odds-on favourite on debut at Dundalk and this Irish raider has clearly been aimed at this race since. He is feared in stall 4 with Andrea Atzeni in the plate, while Alice Haynes’ ZIGGY’S DREAM who also won well on debut, can have a say in the outcome. 

Leg 2 Selections: Carmela, Knebworth, Seantrabh

Interestingly for race 2, a lot of the leading fancies in the betting are drawn on the wing of the field. A lot of these are well-treated as well, including CARMELA, who is drawn nicely in stall 2 and has been highly tried in her career so far. 

Outside of Listed/Group events she is unbeaten in two starts and she will benefit from the significant ease in grade having struggled in Group 3 company when last spotted. Moreover, she goes well fresh, which is one of a few positives within her credentials. 

In addition, her fifth behind Mawj is a serious form-line given the winner claimed the 1000 Guineas last weekend. With lots in her favour, David Loughnane’s filly is not discounted on her handicap debut and should be fully tuned up to make a bold bid. 

KNEBWORTH is the wrong price in comparison to a few of these. She won three times last year and she was right on the heels of a couple of these at Lingfield two starts ago on worse terms. She is better off at the weights here and Franny Norton, the Chester specialist, takes the ride. 

SEANTRABH was a solid fourth at Thirsk last time and that reappearance ought to have blown away the cobwebs. The more rain that arrives, the stronger her chances and she hasn’t got as much to find with most of these despite her mark suggesting otherwise. 

Leg 3 Selections: Savethelastdance

Given Aidan O’Brien tends to excel at this meeting on a yearly basis, it is obvious the market leader SAVETHELASTDANCE has leading claims in leg 4 under the guidance of Ryan Moore. 

She relished the longer trip when landing a maiden at Leopardstown on just her second career outing and with her stable’s fine record in this race, she should be difficult to topple. 

Leg 4 Selections: Arrest, Adelaide River 

Onto leg 4, the feature race, which is the ever-so-popular Chester Vase. ARREST was very progressive last season and on the back of two wins, he ran a blinder to finish a head second to Dubai Mile in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his final start. He is the one to beat on his return with Frankie Dettori doing the steering as well. 

ADELAIDE RIVER won on debut before finishing second in a pair of Group events. He was a few lengths behind Arrest in third in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud but this longer trip promises to suit and his stable have an outstanding record in the race. He is the biggest threat to the former. 

Leg 5 Selections: California Gem, Commander Straker, Macho Mania 

CALIFORNIA GEM won three times last year and returned with a good third at Pontefract when last seen. She will be fitter here and the form of her second of 27 in the 150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes is a solid piece of form and that was the last time she contested good to soft ground. Ideally drawn in 2, she’s a leading player.

COMMANDER STRAKER has not been seen since his third in the Woodcote at the Epsom Derby meeting last year but his form has worked out well and the combination of a nice draw and nice mark on handicap debut makes him an appealing shortlist candidate. 

MACHO MANIA is also worth an interest. Trainer Hugo Palmer has an excellent strike-rate at the course and interestingly makes his turf/handicap debut here. He is drawn wide and needs improvement but has more to come and it wouldn’t come at all as a surprise if he were to run well. 

Leg 6 Selections: Shadow Dance 

Roger Varian has his only runner on the card in the shape of SHADOW DANCE, who shaped very nicely when second on debut at Windsor, only finding an experienced rival too strong on the day and will have learnt a lot. 

She should be suited to this course going left-handed and is drawn well in stall 3, so she should be extremely competitive. I think it will take a good performance from another rival to stop her from going one place better.