Chester May Boodles Festival Day Two Preview - 06/05/21

The first race of the day on the Roodee is the Class 2 Handicap over five furlongs and a slight specialist at the track is the veteran Copper Knight, who looks a big price at 15/2.

The seven year old has been around the block and then some over the last few years and has been raced frequently in these types of events.

Having been a very talented sprinter over this distance and on soft ground, he went up to a rating of 106, but since then has been slowly dropping down the handicap and is now on a very attractive mark.

In the last renewal of this race in 2019 he finished a narrow second off a mark of 100 and having already previously won over course and distance he could have a big chance now on a mark of 85.

The soft ground will be no issue and being drawn in stall 3 makes him interesting.

The Listed Dee Stakes is one of the feature events of the day at Chester and in the 1m2 1/2f event we are going with the Aidan O'Brien trained Ontario.

The three year old has shown bundles of ability to date, winning two of first three events and then going on to place in in two Group Two events at The Curragh and Newmarket, with his second in the Royal Lodge Stakes behind New Mandate being one of his best juvenile runs.

Having tan twice more before the end of the season and running to a fair level, he was given a break and returned this season a year older.

He made his seasonal reappearance over seven furlongs in a Listed Handicap and off top weight managed to finish a staying on third behind the smart Tactical.

He got tapped for a bit of toe that day and with him doing his best work late on that day, the step up in trip will be sure to suit, especially on ground he handles.

Next up is very competitive handicap event over 7 1/2 furlongs and Yazaman for the inform William Haggas yard looks slightly overpriced.

The three year old was frequently raced as a juvenile last term, starting his career off in emphatic fashion when winning on debut over 5f.

He then finished second three times in a row between 5f and 6f, finishing in behind Tactical in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and Group Two July Stakes and then behind Group One winner Supremacy at Goodwood.

After that he lost his way slightly, with Haggas struggling to work out what trip he wants, but last time out he gave his best run for a while over 7f and looks like a career revival could be on the cards.

The gelding finished a fair fourth of 16 at Newmarket in a good handicap and if coming on for that run should be a big player off a mark of 91.

The feature race on the second day of the Boodles meeting is the Group Three Ormonde Stakes and at an each way price, Sonnyboyliston for Johnny Murtagh looks a smart runner for a yard that don't have many runners here.

The four year old, was an average juvenile, but came out for his three year old debut in June last year and got off the mark at the first time of asking at Gowran Park over a mile.

Then stepped up to 10f at Navan he finished a good third behind the talented Delphi and used that run to score in back to back races at The Curragh over 1m2f.

He was sent into the Group Three International Stakes on his final run of last term and was slightly outclassed, but that can be put down to a long season.

The gelding returned for this campaign at Naas in March and was a good third behind the Impressive Broome, who has since gone on to frank the form twice.

Sonnyboyliston is stepping up to this trip for the first time in his career and if handling it, which his pedigree suggests he will, he could be a big player for a top yard.

Versatile when it comes to ground.

The Class 2 Handicap over 1m2 1/2f sees a very wide open field and at an each way play, Baryshnikov for David Barron could be a big player.

The five year old enters the event on a nice mark having put in two lesser performances, but if getting back to his old form, at a track he enjoys he should be in the mix.

Last season the five year old was in highly consistent form, placing in seven of his nine events, including winning two smart events, one of them over course and distance.

Having been running well over 10f, he went to Chester in September and landed a Novice Stakes before backing that up at Ayr.

He finished the season off at York with a fair fifth of 14 in a handicap and was then put away until his return in March.

The gelding made his return in a competitive handicap and looked to need the run to blow the cobwebs away and should be fully fit for this event off a reduced mark.

The penultimate event of the afternoon at Chester is the five furlong Maiden Stakes and Zoltan Star for Richard Hannon looks to be one of the more likely winners.

The Hannon yard are in some serious form this season and this son of Kodiac made a very impressive start to life on a racecourse at Windsor in a Novice Stakes.

He finished a good second behind a big priced winner, with the form of the race working out really well with the third and fourth placed horses since going on to win.

Off the back of that he will need to improve, but on form could be tough to beat.

The final runner of the day for us is Set Point in the Boodles Handicap over 1m4f and this Hugo Palmer trained three year old looks to have a superb pedigree.

The son of Sea The Stars was bought for €195,000 as a foal and has been seen three times during his short career.

As a juvenile he was seen twice, making his debut at Sandown over a mile and finishing fourth behind some smart horses, that have gone on to frank the form.

Set Point also helped that form line when getting off the mark next time out at Nottingham, handling the soft ground very well.

Given a break, he returned for his three year old debut at Newbury in a Conditions Stakes over 1m2f and looked to slightly need the run.

He should be fully fit for this event and stepping up in trip he looks sure to be suited by it when looking through his family tree.