Hugo Palmer Chester May Festival day one runners blog: 'Hopefully many of them will get a run'

Hugo Palmer presents his latest exclusive Coral blog, previewing the runners he has on day one of Chester's May Festival on Wednesday, May 7.

Chester’s May meeting is a huge one for the whole team here at Manor House, a lot of our owners are local to the racecourse, and having runners – and winners – this week is an important part of having a horse in training with us. Therefore we will have targeted plenty of horses at this meeting, and hopefully many of them will get a run. 

We run two in the opening Lily Agnes Stakes. The draw at Chester, particularly over sprint distances, is extremely important, and over the minimum five furlongs, as this race is, being drawn low is a huge advantage. Going a step further, 65% of races here over five furlongs are won by the horse in stall one, so Ali Shuffle, already winner of her two starts so far, could be very hard to beat.

Unfortunately one of our pair, Miss Piggle, has been drawn high, in stall nine of twelve, so has been done no favours, as in a straight line I’d slightly favour her over Ardisia, so that’s frustrating, as both of ours come here in good form.  

Ardisia blew his chance in the stalls at Pontefract last time, but for that he’d be two from two, and from the slightly better draw of stall six, he could run a big race providing he behaves himself at the start this time.

We’re also doubly represented in the six furlong 3-y-o handicap. Going into this week I’d have probably had The Flying Seagull down as our best chance of the week, but he has been drawn widest of all in stall 14, which is a real blow. It continues a run of bad draws that this horse has received, such bad luck really does defy all the odds. 

In his favour, he does have Richard Kingscote riding him, and Richard is a master at riding around here and if anyone can negate a bad draw, he can.

Our other runner is Cabelleroso, and I will walk the course before deciding whether he takes his chance or not. Good ground or softer will be fine, but any quicker I’d probably take him out, as he is a horse who hits the ground quite hard, but if he runs, I think he has a good chance, and it’s not like we have to travel him a long way if he doesn’t run.

There’s nothing little about this horse, he’s a smashing big horse, who has just needed time as he was big and weak as a 2-y-o, so we’ve let him grow into his frame, and now he’s ready to start. It doesn’t look a particularly strong maiden for this meeting, but he will need the experience and he’s one to look forward to. 

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