Horse Racing Tips
Chester May Festival 2026: Irish Raider Wins The Feature & More Roodee Tips
William Hill News tipster Steve Mullington marks your eight-race card on Day 3 at the 2026 Chester May Festival.
The Roodee hosts its ever popular May meeting this week with the Chester Cup being the feature race of the week on Friday.
Chester Tips Day 3:
- 1.30pm – Janey Mackers
- 2.05pm – Glory Of The Seas (NAP)
- 2.35pm – King’s Gambit (E/W)
- 3.05pm – Zanndabad (E/W)
- 3.40pm – Manila Scouse
- 4.10pm – Morning Air
- 4.45pm – Watcha Snoop
- 5.20pm – Nightsinwhitesatin
There is also Group action taking place on this final day of the fixture, with the focal point being on the 1m2½f Group 2 Huxley Stakes.
1.30 – 1m2½f Great Cheshire Handicap
David Menuisier once thought he a Classic contender on his hands with JANEY MACKERS, but she didn’t quite hit those echelons.
She is however a horse that can hold her own at Listed level and has all the makings of a good handicapper. The filly is certainly worth a second look in our horse racing betting.
2.05 – 1m4½f EBF Maiden Stakes
Held in high regard by his Godolphin owners, GLORY OF THE SEAS (NAP) can stamp his authority on this maiden stakes.
Entered for the Dante, plus the Epsom and Irish Derby’s, this well-bred Sea The Stars-colt can improve for his run 20 days ago at Newbury.
Man of the moment Billy Loughnane has been given the plum ride.
2.35 – 1m2½f Huxley Stakes (Group 2)
A recent second in a Group 3 at Sandown and currently rated 111, KING’S GAMBIT looks poised to run a big race on the Roodee on Friday.
The Harry Charlton-trained five-year-old has been racing at a high level since his close-up third in the 2024 Great Voltigeur at York, and at odds of 13/2 in our sports betting, he’s a solid looking each-way pick.
3.05 – 2m2½f Chester Cup Handicap
Dual purpose and jumps trainers have an excellent record down the years in the Chester Cup, which leads me to the solid chances of Tony Martin’s ZANNDABAD.
You may recall this horse scooting home in The French Furze Hurdle at Newcastle over the winter, and with no hurdles to negotiate around here, what’s stopping him doing something similar again?
3.40 – 6f Handicap
Tim Easterby targets the handicaps at this fixture every year and his MANILA SCOUSE has plenty of knowledge of this unique track.
The seven-year-old is a consistent performer at this level and is drawn nicely in stall two.
4.10 – 2m2½f Chester Plate Handicap
Venetia Williams is not a name that springs to mind when you think of Chester, but she does enjoy having the occasional runner in the staying handicaps and won this race in 2022 with Bellatrixsa.
Her entry this year MORNING AIR is quite intriguing as he does tick plenty of the boxes required to land a race such as this.
The five-year-old wasn’t a million miles behind East India Dock in the Chester Cup last season, so theoretically should fare much better in this less demanding contest.
4.45 – 5f Handicap
Highly tried as a two-year-old on Champions Day at Ascot, this handicap is a much more realistic target for Hugo Palmer’s WATCHA SNOOP.
Off an initial mid-range weight and with Oisin Murphy in the plate, his handicap debut is eagerly awaited by connections.
5.20 – 1m4½f Apprentice Handicap
NIGHTSINWHITESATIN can put a spell of unlucky seconds to bed with a victory in the lucky last at Chester.
Ed Bethell’s was just touched off at Thirsk but will be super match fit for his follow up run here. Toby Moore takes off a useful 7lbs too.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
