Chester Boodles May Festival - Day Three

It's the final day up on the Roodee and we have had some great racing thus far. It's been an average week for me so far with one winner, a second and two fourths from four horses tipped leaving me half a point down to level stakes for the meeting. I once again fancy two on the card for Friday, hopefully they'll put me nicely in profit for the three days. 

Best bets day three of the Chester Boodles May Festival

The Group Two Melodi Media Huxley Stakes over 1m2f at 2.15 is the race of the day on day three of the Boodles May Festival. It is a strange race in that in can be argued Armory, Sangarius and Bangkok have all failed to some extent to live up to expectations. That said they are all decent types and it could be a nice little race. The trip is ideal for Bangkok as, I think, is the layout and nature of the course giving the King Power Racing owned five-year-old every chance to my eye. I have of course been following him over the winter on the All-Weather and his recent win in the Easter Classic gives him the fitness edge over his two main rivals as well as Palavecino who he beat at Lingfield. Obviously closely matched with Sangarius on the Quebec Stakes form, where the width of a fag paper separated the two with Palavecino fourth, I expect a different outcome here, David Probert leaving Bangkok with too much to do that particular day and just failing to get Sangarius in the run-in. I have the 4-1 though annoyingly, I think coral then went 9-2!    

The 2m2½f Chester Cup Handicap at 2.45 is the betting race of the day and I am hopeful I have solved the puzzle. Many of the likely frontrunners are drawn in the high numbers which is far from beneficial here as just about everybody knows. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few non-runners come raceday from the seventeen that are due to run. Cardano won for me when I tipped him in February at Lingfield and is interesting here. The gelding likes to be up the pointed end and is drawn in one which has to be seen as a plus, as is Ryan Moore being in the saddle at a track he rides pretty well, 26% strike-rate. This is a step-up in trip compared to what the five-year-old is used to but if he is going to stay this far this sort of track will give him his best chance. At the 9-1 that is around on Thursday I think he is well worth a punt. Who Dares Wins, who has twice been placed in this, is shortlisted as is top-weight Falcon Eight dropping back to handicap company and bearing in mind anything Dermot Weld sends across the Irish Sea is always worth a second look.  

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