Chester May Festival Day One Preview

Chester’s May Festival kicks off with a hotly contested seven runner Novice Stakes affair over 5f and we’ve taken a real liking to the Tom Dascombe trained DEVIOUS ANGEL.

A four lengths seventh in a well ran maiden at Newmarket over this distance in April, the Cotai Glory filly built on that run in emphatic style at Southwell 12 days later winning by over five lengths on the bridle.

She’d drifted from 15/8 to 5/1 on that occasion and considering the ease she won with, much more is clearly expected from her for a partnership who are seen quite often in the winners enclosure at this course.

The first Listed event of the week sees the fillies battle it out in the Cheshire Oaks with seven declared to go to post.

Darlectable You, the full sister to Too Darn Hot, So Mi Dar & Lah Ti Dar, looks to be the best bred horse in the race but we’ve taken a real liking to the Roger Varian trained ZEYAADAH.

Half sister to four winners, she’s been faultless in her three career starts to date winning all three in relatively easy fashion.

She did however prove a little hard to handle when defeating eventual Listed winner Mystery Angel by over a length in the Montrose Fillies Stakes at Newmarket but what she lacked that day she made up for in staying power and she was evidently hard to pull up after the line.

Stepping up in distance by three furlongs in this field, she’s already available at around 33/1 for the Epsom Oaks and she should be right in the mix here.

A nice handicap affair, we’ve picked out ARMY OF INDIA as the one to beat in this race.

A winner on debut over 6f at Kempton last June, he was way back in the field in the Coventry Stakes but bounced back to form emphatically when winning over 6f at Lingfield next time out.

He found the step up in class just a little too much when thrown in to Group 3 company over 5f at Glorious Goodwood but he did put in a solid performance to finish a close third when setting a fairly quick pace on his first start of 2021 at Donny last month.

The drop down back in trip here should suit and with Franny Norton booked, he’s got a massive chance of returning to winning ways.

Now for the main event of the day, the Cheshire Vase.

The race has fallen apart a bit over the past day or two with Sir Lamorak and San Martino both been withdrawn by AP O'Brien due to the deteriorating ground conditions

The one to keep an eye on from our stand point is the Richard Hannon trained FANCY MAN.

Two wins from four career runs so far, his best form has come on ground with a little bit of give in it and with rain forecasted at Chester over the next couple of days, conditions may just turn out to suit him to a tee and he may be worth a small punt either W/O Sir Lamorak or as an e/w punt.

By Mehmas and trained by Richard Hannon, he got off the mark at the second time of asking when flying home down the rail at Windsor in October.

He kicked off his 2021 season at Wolves over 5f and having been sent off at 13/8 second fav, he found himself just too far back in the field to mount a serious challenge to the odds on favourite Equality who had already got first run on the field.

He did stay on nicely on that occasion though without really been put through his paces and with the apprentice jockey taking 3lbs off on handicap debut, his mark looks generous as it is and he could well make a bit of a statement here.

In what looks set to be a fairly competitive maiden, we’ve taken a real fancy to the Roger Charlton trained KEEPER.

By Frankel and half brother to Listed winners Set Piece and Alocasia, he failed to deliver when sent off at 5/1 on debut over a mile at Newbury in October only managing a 20 lengths 11th.

Both of Set Piece’s and Alocasia’s best form has come as a three year old and he’ll be looking to make that sort of improvement with Ryan Moore booked to do the steering.

The biggest field on day one of Chesters May Festival comes in the final race as 14 head to the starting stalls for the 7f contest and we’ve gone for the Richard Fahey trained NATIONAL LEAGUE.

A two time winner as a two year old back in 2019, he had an indifferent 2020 picking up no victories but he did pick up four places in the process.

He built on that form once again on his first two starts over 2021 before finishing seventh of 16 at Newbury in the middle of last month after his mark was upped by 2lbs.

He returns to his more favoured 7f distance in this race and the half decent draw should give him every opportunity he needs to get back in the winners enclosure.