What a day of racing we have in store! Classic clues are lying in wait at Chester as Derby and Oaks hopefuls go into battle on the Roodee – live on Sky Sports Racing.
3.05pm Chester – Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini faces six rivals in Chester Vase
Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini will face six rivals at Chester on Wednesday in the Boodles Chester Vase Stakes over the extended twelve-furlong trip.
The son of Frankel comfortably won a Group 2 at Leopardstown in September before being sent off favourite for the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster. Aidan O’Brien’s colt could only manage third spot that day but may have had excuses due to the heavy ground. He now begins his three-year-old campaign here and will look to follow in the footsteps of Ballydoyle’s Lambourn – who last year completed the Vase and Derby double. Ryan Moore has proven to be excellent around Chester in recent years too, boasting a strike rate of 53 per cent on the Roodee since 2021.
Del Maro will be Godolphin’s representative in this Group 3 event and after being placed on all four starts as a two-year-old, he broke his maiden last month at Yarmouth when sent off an odds-on favourite.
Proposition, who dons the first time cheekpieces, is the mount of Wayne Lordan whilst Richard and Peter Fahey saddle Mr Colonel. Jessica Harrington sends Mr Vettori into battle alongside Royal Standard, who is the outsider of this field of six for Andrew Balding.
2.35 Chester – Exciting pair I’m The One and Amelia Earhart clash in Cheshire Oaks
A select field of five will contest the Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks at Chester on Wednesday over 1m3½f and this year’s renewal seems to be an exciting matchup between I’m The One and Amelia Earhart.
John and Thady Gosden’s hugely exciting filly I’m The One was a runaway winner on debut at Newbury last month and will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the stable’s superstar mare Enable by taking this trial en route to Epsom. The daughter of Sea The Stars is the current 7/2 favourite for the Oaks in June.
Amelia Earhart is one of Aidan O’Brien’s two runners in a race the trainer has won a record nine times since 2008. It took the daughter of Camelot five goes before breaking her maiden at Leopardstown in October, although she had run a number of solid placed efforts prior. Ryan Moore won this race last year with Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk and Ballydoyle will be hoping a similar scenario plays out here with Amelia Earhart, who is currently 8/1 second favourite for the big race next month.
Ralph Beckett and James Doyle combine here with A La Prochaine, who cost 550,000gns as a yearling and won on her sole racecourse appearance at Newbury in October.
Aidan O’Brien’s other runner Sugar Island finished her two-year-old campaign with a Group 3 success at the Curragh with Wayne Lordan onboard, who also takes the ride here.
Andrew Balding’s filly Winged One is the outsider in this field of five.
1.30 Chester – Adonius, Wait Geordie and Final Appeal headline Lily Agnes
The opening race of this year’s Boodles May Festival will see eight runners go to post for the CAA Stellar Lily Agnes EBF Conditions Stakes over the minimum trip at Chester this afternoon.
A trio of horses dominant the market with Rebecca Menzies’ gelding Adonius being one of them. Unbeaten from two starts so far, he comes into this sprint contest in good form and has been given stall one – a draw that has provided three of the last five winners. However, he must concede 5lbs to his market rivals.
Local trainer Hugo Palmer saddles Wait Geordie, who won on his sole racecourse appearance last month at Bath. The son of Mehmas flew out of the stalls that day and has been given a kind draw here in stall three with champion Oisin Murphy taking the ride.
Last year’s winning trainer Karl Burke saddles Final Appeal, who after finishing second on debut at Nottingham, justified odds-on favouritism to break his maiden at Wolverhampton 15 days ago. Clifford Lee is jocked up on the two-year-old who will be coming out of stall four.
Philip Makin’s Hickory Lad and the newcomer in the field Black Treasure (Ollie Sangster) are others to note in this field of eight.
Best of the rest
Also at Chester, Snow Master and Partisan Hero feature among a maximum field of 14 assembled for the 2.05pm Join Ladbrokes Bet 5 Get 30 Earl Grosvenor Handicap. The former horse seemed to lose his way after a promising start to his career but has since been gelded, which should eke out a return to better things.
Fourteen runners have also been declared for the 3.40pm American Holidays Handicap, with Kevin Ryan’s Alaminos prominent in the market after only being beaten a neck on reappearance at Pontefract recently.
Today could finally be the day for the Fahey-trained Arabian Desert in the 4.10pm TMT Group Maiden Stakes. This lad has been second on his last three starts but with Derby entrant Alfaraz a non-runner, this seems an ideal chance to end his luckless run.
Elsewhere, Harry Cobden has his second ride for JP McManus this season on Hercule Du Seuil in Newton Abbot’s competitive Kauto The King Handicap Chase (1.45pm) which also features Etalon. At the same venue, Nicky Henderson fields Royal runner Bold Step in the Racing To School Reaches 25 Years Maiden Hurdle (2.15pm).