It’s day two of the May Festival and Matt is keen on Morshdi (14:35).
Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Tips
13:30 Chester – Canons House
13:45 Huntingdon – Pep Talking
14:05 Chester – Donegal Rose
14:35 Chester – Morshdi
15:05 Chester – Al Qareem (each-way)
15:40 Chester – Strength of Spirit (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
ITV Racing returns Thursday from Chester and Huntingdon, starting here with a handicap over 5f. CANON’S HOUSE has loads of decent sprint form off about this mark and gets a nice draw in stall 5. He also gets first time cheekpieces which hopefully speeds him up and he comes into this on the back of a reasonable second at Beverley last time. His fifth at Goodwood last season in a huge field would put him back in the mix, although it would also put the sixth Jakajaro with a chance as well. Relatively lightly raced so might have more to offer. Runs for the Easterbys and ridden by Joanna Mason.
A handicap chase over 2m4f. PEP TALKING will be hard to beat for Billy Aprahamian and Gavin Sheehan. The front-runner was in good winning form at Chepstow 26 days ago and had Koapey well beaten off when that horse came down. Basically he’s just going to be hard to beat and usually jumps for fun.
Here’s a maiden for juveniles over an extended 5f. Such guesswork. I’ll chance DONEGAL ROSE for Hugo Palmer who loves nothing more than a winner here but he throws a few darts at this race. The daughter of Kodiac showed some pace on debut but just as she was plugging on she got crowded out of it. She gets a nice draw in stall 7 and might well get in the mix.
14:35 Chester – Morshdi
Up in class for the Listed Dee Stakes over an extended 1m2f. Constitution River will be all the rage but I like MORSHDI who hasn’t done much wrong in his career so far. A second to Esna on debut at Sandown was followed by a win at York and a fine success in the Listed Feilden at Newmarket. He kept on well that day and another furlong should be no problem at all. Tom Marquand rides for William Haggas.
15:05 Chester – Al Qareem (each-way)
Now the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes for older horses over an extended 1m5f. Jan Brueghel is clearly the form choice and will take all the beating. However, I’m suggesting AL QAREEM as an each-way bet at longer odds in a field of eight. Everyone knows this boy is super tough and he will go to the front and try and make all for Clifford Lee and Karl Burke. Giving 3lb to Jan Brueghel is crazy on paper, but he had a good comeback win at Musselburgh and was a fine second in this to the re-opposing Illinois in 2025. Illinois is also now better off at the weights. So it won’t be easy, but if one of the big guns flop Al Qareem may well slip into the frame.
A three-year-old handicap over an extended 7f. STRENGTH OF SPIRIT is edging up the weights but returned with a good win at Musselburgh before finishing third at Haydock. That day he came there to have every chance but seemed to just find the mile stretching him, so it looks a good move to pop back to 7f off a faster pace. Will be held up and might come home strongly for Karl Burke and Sam James. An each-way chance.
So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?
Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Tips
13:30 Chester – Canons House
13:45 Huntingdon – Pep Talking
14:05 Chester – Donegal Rose
14:35 Chester – Morshdi
15:05 Chester – Al Qareem (each-way)
15:40 Chester – Strength of Spirit (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read MoreTap here for PP.com racing oddsThe Paddy Power Guide To Safer Gambling – Everything You Need To Know