Dave Massey is back with kwiff for all three days of The Chester May Meeting 2025 and marks you card ahead of Day 2 on The Roodee. Read his exclusive preview below.
Chester May Meeting 2025: Dave Massey’s Huge Thursday Tips
Chester May Meeting 2025: High Stock (14.35) – Back
We (that’s Trackside) were at Newmarket for High Stock’s debut in the Wood Ditton and described High Stock as an “impressive, muscular individual” and whilst we thought him one of the better ones fitness-wise on the day, that’s not to say he’s not going to do better again, and he could easily improve again to take this.
He travelled very well at Newmarket and battled well when asked to, all of which bears well for his future, and this step up in trip should suit, being a half-brother to a mile and a half winner in Imperial Cult. Isambard Brunel is going to be well-fancied to maintain Aidan O’Brien’s stranglehold in this race, having won four of the last five runnings, but maybe High Stock can bring Brunel’s Kingdom crashing down (geddit? Please yourselves…)
Chester May Meeting 2025: Illinois, (15.05) – Take On
If there’s a time to try and get Illinois beaten, then it’s probably here, in the Ormonde Stakes. He’s the best horse in the race, of that there’s no doubt, but he took a bit of time to find stride last year, only finishing third in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on seasonal debut (sent off odds-on) and then second to Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial. That set him up to win the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot where he looked absolutely spot on, and I’ve no doubt he’s got bigger targets as the season progresses this year.
So he’s unlikely to be 100% fit here, with connections likely to leave something to work on, and at today’s weights, with Illinois having a 5lb penalty to shoulder for his win in the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay at Longchamp last autumn, he is going to find the race-fit pair of Absurde and Al Qareem tough nuts to crack. I’d be happy to have both that pair onside today. A lay at 2.6 and under.
Chester May Meeting 2025: Manila Scouse (13.30) – EW
I probably want my head testing putting up a horse that’s finished stone last on his last four runs, but I just saw a glimmer of the old Manila Scouse at Ripon last time, and perhaps this could set up for his late-charging style to see him into the frame at a big price.
A winner off this mark at Chepstow in a Racing League handicap last August, it all went wrong very quickly for him after that, finishing down the field in the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon on his next start before going on his unwelcome four-timer, not beating a single horse home in two further handicaps last season, or in two this spring.
He did, however, show a bit more spark back at Ripon last time (a track he’s never excelled at), staying on to be beaten four lengths, as near as he’s got to the leaders in quite a while. He needs another big step forward here, but the extreme pace of this – almost all of which is to his immediate left – means he should get a tow into it, and if the breaks do come, he might be able to weave his way through and land the each-way money.
By Dave Massey
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