It’s Day 2 of The Boodles May Festival and Dave Massey is back with his best best ahead of a busy day on The Roodee.
Boodles May Festival 2026: Day 2 Tips
A low draw (5 or less) has won this four of the last five years and has been responsible for a majority of the places too, so it will probably pay to concentrate on those drawn as such. And when you do, it doesn’t take long for Ruby’s Profit (1.30) to jump out at you.
Boodles May Festival 2026: Ruby’s Profit (1.30)
It’s only three days ago that we saw Ruby’s Profit in action at Bath where she was beaten a length in finishing fourth, running well after missing the start slightly. That’s very unlike her, as early speed from the gates is very much her forte, and the hood that was tried on Monday is missing here. That would suggest connections believe it was that that put her to sleep somewhat in the stalls, and it might just sharpen her up for this.
Second over C&D to the thrown-in Redorange at this meeting last year, where she did show her customary early speed only to be worn down late, she has stall 2 to work from and has a lot in her favour here. Looks to be coming to the boil at the right time.
Boodles May Festival 2026: Morshdi (2.35)
Constitution Hill is the one to beat on paper, his Group 2 win at The Curragh last August the best piece of form in the field. We didn’t see him after that however, nd so preference today is for Morshdi (2.35), who looked like he’d come on for the run at Newmarket last month.
He proved a length too good for Poseidon’s Warrior (who admittedly ran poorly at the weekend, but with a possible excuse) over nine furlongs and should do better again for another step up in trip, bring a brother to the useful Nakheel, who needed 10f and further to show his best. That Newmarket run was a big improvement on anything he’d shown at two, and he looks a useful prospect for the season, whether Constitution River proves too good for him or not here.
Boodles May Festival 2026: Illinois (3.35)
Aidan O’Brien holds all the aces here with Jan Brueghel and Illinois (3.05), the market preferring the former but it is worth pointing out that last season’s Coronation Cup winner needed his reappearance run last year, beaten by Galen at the Curragh and for all that was only ten furlongs, a trip on the short side for him, he did look a bit rusty, and might well need this before another visit to Epsom next month.
As such, preference is for the winner of this last year, Illinois, who turned in his best performance of the year when scoring in this and will no doubt be readied with this in mind. Don’t be worried if he looks a bit big in the paddock if you’ve got pictures, he very much did last year, to the point where you’d convinced yourself he badly needed the run. He didn’t. He was a length and a quarter too good for Al Qareem and, somewhat laughably, meets his old rival on 5lb better terms here. He can keep his Ormonde crown for another year.
Boodles May Festival 2026: Seagolazo (4.10)
Let’s Dream was a surprise 33-1 winner on his reappearance over this C&D last year so on that alone would appear to have something going for him on this, his first start since he was successful at York last October. He was put up 6lb for that by the assessor but that still looks on the lenient side. Stall 2 is a good draw to work from and the only small negative against him is that his trainer, Michael Bell, is struggling for winners after a good start to the season. All the same, has to be on any shortlist.
Stall 12 looks a tricky draw for Seagolazo (4.10) to work from but I’ll chance him all the same, as he has a bit going for him. 1-1 around here, having won at the track as a 2yo, his reappearance run at Redcar over a mile, a trip very much on the short side for him these days, was full of promise, beaten a shade under two lengths and doing all of his best work at the finish. That was also without his customary headgear, and Hugo Palmer decides to give a visor a try today. Tom Marquand is as good as anyone around Chester, for my money, and he looks the value.
By Dave Massey
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