See Andy Newton’s ITV Horse Racing tips and 1-2-3 best bets for the LIVE Chester races on Thursday 7th May 2026.
Five more LIVE ITV Racing scheduled races this Thursday for the second day of the Chester May Meeting – with races on day two that include the Dee Stakes and Ormonde Stakes.
Andy Newton’s Chester ITV Horse Racing Tips: Thursday 7th May 2026
- 1:30 Chester – RUBY’S PROFIT (e/w)
- 2:05 Chester – CATURRA LIGHTS
- 2:35 Chester – CONSTITUTION RIVER
- 3:05 Chester – ILLINOIS
- 3:40 Chester – KING OF THUNDER (e/w)
Chester ITV Horse Racing Tips On Thursday: Take Illinois To Land Another Ormonde Stakes
1:30 Chester – CAA Stellar Handicap Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 5f ITV4
Another ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ race to get us going on day two at Britain’s oldest racecourse.
Meaning those drawn low often fair best – backed up with all of the last 17 winners coming from stalls 7 or lower.
Plus 15 of the last 17 from 5 or lower.
With this in mind, Seven Questions, from gate 1, will be popular – as will Canon’s House (5) and Dubai Bling (4).
However, I think RUBY’S PROFIT – from gate 2 could be this year’s low-drawn gem.
She’s taken a few races to warm up this season at Bath, but certainly took a leap forward last time, when 4th and only beaten a length.
Is up in grade here but gets in with 7lbs less in racing weight and ran well at this meeting last season when runner-up in a similar race.
🥇RUBY’S PROFIT (e/w)
🥈SEVEN QUESTIONS
🥉CANON’S HOUSE
Key Stats 📈
- 17/17 – From stall 7 or lower
- 17/17 – Won over 5f before
- 15/17 – 12/1 or shorter in the betting
- 14/17 – From stall 5 or lower
- 13/17 – Won between 2-6 times
- 12/17 – Raced in the last 4 weeks
- 12/17 – Had raced at Chester
- 11/17 – Finished in the top 7 last time out
- 11/17 – Aged 4 or 5 years-old
- 9/17 – Carried 8-10 or less in weight
- 8/17 – Winning favourites
- 7/17 – Officially rated between 87-90
- 7/17 – Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
- 5/17 – Returned a double-figure price in the betting
- 3/17 – Winners from stall 1
- Roman Dragon won this race in 2025
- Oisin Murphy has won 2 of the last 3
- 14 of the last 16 winners came between stalls 1-4
2:05 Chester – British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB/IRE Incentive Race) Cl2 (2yo) 5½f ITV4
Many unknows here with all of the 11 runners either having their debuts or having only had two of less runs.
Therefore, anything could improve dramatically from their opening starts – including the Hugo Palmer-trained Donegal Rose, who was 5th on debut at Leicester.
While the Palmer team actually have two others in here – the newcomer Koodini and Jazz Queen, who was 6th on her first start at HQ.
But despite all these unknowns, what we do know is the Adrian Paul Keatley yard has a solid 38% SR with their 2yolds at Chester and so their CATURRA LIGHTS is interesting.
He was a close third on debut at Musselburgh at the end of April and should be better for that – as he was doing his best work at the finish that day.
Draw 6 is fine too and Mickey Sheehy, who rode the last day, keeps the ride.
Of the rest, with stalls 1 or 2 winning the last two runnings a chance is taken on the unraced pair Koodini and Andalnade too.
🥇CATURRA LIGHTS
🥈KOODINI
🥉ANDALNADE
Key Stats 📈
- Only two past runnings
- Trainer Adrian Paul Keatley has a 38% record with his 2 year-olds at the track
- Both winners from stalls 1 or 2
2:35 Chester – Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Listed Race) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (3yo) 1m2½f ITV4
Kris Kin was the last Dee Stakes winner to go onto land the Epsom Derby in 2003, so that’s worth noting after this.
But, like a lot of these Chester Listed and Group races, this is another that trainer Aidan O’Brien has farmed – winning the last four and also seven of the last eight.
They run Flushing Meadows and CONSTITUTION RIVER – with Ryan Moore preferring the last-named.
This Wootton Bassett colt ran second on debut at Newmarket to Distant Storm in a hot maiden last July.
Then backed this up with wins at Galway and the Curragh in the G2 Irish Futurity Stakes.
He’s up from 7f to 1m 2 1/2f here but this extra yardage is likely to suit, and he’ll need to win this if he’s head to the Epsom Derby next – where he’s 20/1.
The William Haggas runner Morshdi can give the pick most to think about, after impressing in the Feilden Stakes last time – but does have to give 3lbs away as a result.
🥇CONSTITUTION RIVER
🥈MORSHDI
🥉GENERIC
Key Stats 📈
- 22/23 – Had not run at Chester
- 20/23 – Still to win over this trip (1m 2 1/2f)
- 19/23 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
- 18/23 – Came from stall 3 or higher
- 18/23 – Favourites finished in the top 3
- 15/23 – Didn’t win another race after taking this (at the time of this race)
- 14/23 – Had a previous run that season
- 12/23 – Won by trainer Aidan O’Brien (9 of the last 12)
- 10/23 – Favourites
- 11/23 – Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
- 11/23 – Winners that went onto run in the Epsom Derby
- 8/23 – Ridden by Ryan Moore (7 of the last 8)
- 7/23 – Won last race
- 1/23 – Winners from stall 1
- Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien have won 7 of the last 8
- Only Kris Kin in 2003 went onto win this and then the Epsom Derby in the last 20+ years
3:05 Chester – Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m5½f ITV4
St Leger runner-up Rahiebb will be out to spoil the Aidan O’Brien party here – but despite bringing hot form to the table – my worry is that he’s only won once from seven starts. A
And that sole success also came on debut over a year ago on the AW.
So, the safer play is to side with one of the Ballydoyle pair – Jan Brueghel, who won the 2024 St Leger – or last year’s winner of this race ILLINOIS.
Especially as O’Brien has won seven of the last 23 runnings of the Ormonde Stakes.
Jan Brueghel is the pick of Ryan Moore so is sure to be favourite and is also rated 9lbs higher than Illinois.
But Moore didn’t get it right in the 1000 Guineas last weekend, with Wayne Lordan riding the winner (True Love).
Lordan gets the leg-up on Illinois here and despite having a bit to find with his stablemate – what we do know is he acts okay at Chester.
He also won this fresh last season, so the 235-day break isn’t a worry, and we had a repeat winner of the race recently (Hamish), which is another plus in my book.
🥇ILLINOIS
🥈JAN BRUEGHEL
🥉RAHIEBB
Key Stats 📈
- 21/23 – Returned 7/2 or shorter
- 18/23 – Won over at least 1m4f
- 16/23 – Didn’t win their previous race
- 15/23 – Won by either a 4 or 5 year-old
- 13/23 – Finished in the top three last time out
- 13/23 – Had a previous run that season
- 12/23 – Favourite
- 11/23 – Had run before at Chester
- 7/23 – Won by trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 7/23 – Ridden by Ryan Moore
- 6/23 – Ran in the John Porter (Newbury) last time out
- 8 of the last 9 winners came from stalls 6 or lower
- Illinois won the race in 2025
3:40 Chester – Xenon Workplace Handicap Cl2 (3yo 0-105) 7½f ITV4
A very tricky final ITV Race on Thursday at Chester with a stack of chances.
It’s been a decent race for the favourite too, with 10 of the last 23 jollies going in – which could be a plus for Factual and McMurray, for last season’s winning yard (George Boughey) at the head of the market.
30% of horses in the last 23 runnings from stall 1 have been placed too, so the outsider Caballo Grande will be looking to improve this stat.
While, in fact 6 of the last 7 winners were drawn between 1-3 – so others a long odds, Gentle George (2) and Monarch’s Gold (3) might be worth savers too.
But the best of those drawn low to me looks to be the Hugo Palmer runner KING OF THUNDER, who is drawn 4.
This some of Night Of Thunder was last seen winning by a short-head at Haydock back in October and is only 4lbs higher.
That last run was also his first after being gelded and just his fourth in total – there should be more to come from this Hugo Palmer runner.
The 5th that day Illy’s Roo has also won a few times since to boost the form and he gets in here with a featherweight of only 8-5.
I’ll take King to ‘Thunder’ home.
🥇KING OF THUNDER (e/w)
🥈McMURRAY
🥉SPIRIT OF STRENGTH
Key Stats 📈
- 21/23 – Hadn’t raced at Chester
- 21/23 – Returned 11/1 or shorter in the betting
- 20/23 – Had a previous run that season
- 17/23 – Came between stalls 2-7
- 15/23 – Finished third or better last time out
- 14/23 – Favourites placed
- 10/23 – Favourites (or joint)
- 7/23 – Placed horses from stall 1
- 5/23 – Raced at Newbury last time out
- 4/23 – Winners from stall 1
- 2/23 – Trained by Andrew Balding
- 9 of the last 11 winners carried 9-1 or more
- 6 of the last 8 runnings went to the favourite
- 6 of the last 7 winners between stalls 1-3
- Jockey Ryan Moore has won 3 of the last 11
