See Andy Newton’s ITV Horse Racing tips and 1-2-3 best bets for the LIVE Chester races on Friday 8th May 2026.
Five more LIVE ITV Racing scheduled races on Friday for the final day of the Chester May Meeting – with races on day three that include the Group Two Huxley Stakes and Chester Cup.
Andy Newton’s Chester ITV Horse Racing Tips: Friday 8th May 2026
- 1:30 Chester – BRAGBOR (e/w)
- 2:05 Chester – EBEN AL KAHANEEJ
- 2:35 Chester – LAMBOURN
- 3:05 Chester – GALILEO DAME
- 3:40 Chester – ROSENPUR / PAWS FOR THOUGHT
Chester ITV Horse Racing Tips On Friday: 2025 Derby Hero Lambourn Can Return To Winning Ways
1:30 Chester – CAA Stellar Great Cheshire Handicap (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-105) 1m2½f ITV4
With 11 of the last 15 winners hailing from gates 6 or lower, then I’m happy to focus my search here.
14 of the last 15 winners were also aged 4-6, while 73% carried 9st 1st or less in weight.
So, with all these factors in-play, I like the look of the Fahey runner BRAGBOR.
He probably needed the run last time at Newcastle after just over four months off – having run well for much of the way, only to fade late on.
The 5yold has been dropped 2lbs too and connections have also booked the useful Warren Fentiman to take a handy 3lbs off.
Stall 1, where three of the last 9 winners have come, is the icing on the cake.
🥇BRAGBOR (e/w)
🥈CLOUDS HILL
🥉RESPOND
Key Stats 📈
- 15/15 – Won at least twice
- 14/15 – Had won over 1m2f (or further)
- 14/15 – Aged between 4-6 years-old
- 13/15 – 13/2 or shorter in the betting
- 12/15 – Placed favourites
- 11/15 – Carried 9-1 or less in weight
- 11/15 – Stall 6 or lower
- 10/15 – Rated between 90-95
- 9/15 – Placed in the top 5 last time out
- 5/15 – Won last time out
- 4/15 – Favourites
- Trainer Andrew Balding has won 2 of the last 9
- Three of the last 9 winners from Stall 1
2:05 Chester – Boodles Darley EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB/GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (3yo) 1m4½f ITV4
A stack of unexposed 3yolds here, so it will be hard to predict how these youngsters would have improved since their opening runs.
We can expect the Andrew Balding runner Galiyan to leave his debut 4th at Newmarket behind.
While Godolphin’s Glory Of The Seas will be popular with jockey of the moment Billy Loughnane in the hotseat. As will recent Newbury third Joulany for Ralph Beckett.
However, a chance is taken on the Owen Burrows runner EBEN AL KAHANEEJ – after a promising 6th at Newbury in what looked a hot maiden that was won by Water To Wine.
It goes without saying he should improve for that run and also wasn’t the best away that day.
Plus, it could be significant the Burrows camp also won this race 12 months ago.
🥇EBEN AL KAHANEEJ
🥈GALIYAN
🥉JOULANY
Key Stats 📈
- One past renewal
- Owen Burrows won the race in 2025
- Oisin Murphy is just 1-20 riding 3 year-olds at the track
- Roger Varian has a 24% record with his 3 year-olds at the track
- Ralph Beckett has a 21% record with his 3 year-olds at the track
2:35 Chester – Deepbridge Huxley Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m2½f ITV4
After winning the Chester Vase at this meeting last season and then adding the Epsom and Irish Derby – LAMBOURN’S hard season caught up with him, with runs down the field in the Great Voltigeur and St Leger.
He’s back freshened up with 8 months off and returns to the Roodee on good ground he’ll love.
The slight niggle is the drop back in trip to 1m 2 1/2f, and with his success here last season over two furlongs longer – then will he get tapped for toe?
But he showed enough pace to win twice over a mile a few years ago and is still only aged 4.
The cheekpieces are also on today and Ryan Moore is back on his back – he’s 2-from-3 on the 2025 Derby winner.
Of the rest, Bay City Roller landed the Group One Grosser Allianz Preis von Bayern back in November but that came on softer ground and he’s also got to give 5lbs away to Lambourn.
Sky Safari has been having a top time on the AW this winter and is interesting back on the grass.
While King’s Gambit, who was a fair 2nd in the Earl Of Sefton last time, plus Royal Rhyme and Starford are others to note.
🥇LAMBOURN
🥈KING’S GAMBIT
🥉ROYAL RHYME
Key Stats 📈
- 22/23 – Aged either a 4 or 5 year-old
- 20/23 – Won over 1m2f
- 18/23 – 9/2 or shorter in the betting
- 17/23 – Had a previous race that season
- 16/23 – Favourites that finished 1st or 2nd in this race
- 15/23 – Winners from between stalls 1-4
- 13/23 – Failed to win their previous race
- 12/23 – Winning favourites
- 10/23 – Returned 7/4 or shorter in the betting
- 9/23 – Ridden by Ryan Moore (5 of the last 9)
- 6/23 – Had raced at Chester before
- 5/23 – Ran in the John Porter at Newbury before winning this
- 4/23 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
- Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore have won 3 of the last 8
- Trainer Richard Fahey has won 2 of the last 7
Roll on Wednesday! 🙌
Subsequent Derby winner Lambourn starred in last year's renewal of the Chester Vase – will we see another Blue Riband winner this week? https://t.co/EIgWW4grY9 pic.twitter.com/elH191DVfo
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 4, 2026
3:05 Chester – Ladbrokes Chester Cup (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m2½f ITV4
Another super tough renewal of the Chester Cup – so you might have to dust down your trusty ‘lucky pin’.
However, the Chester Cup trends can help and they do tell us horses aged 5-7, from stalls 7 or lower and carrying 9-2 (or less) have good records.
With these in mind, the 5yold GALIEO DAME, with two-time winner Ryan Moore riding, looks interesting.
She’s one of three in the race for trainer Joseph O’Brien – with the Billy Loughnane-ridden Puturhandstogether and A Piece Of Heaven his other runners.
But Galileo Dame gets in here with just 8-12 to carry and draw 6 looks perfect. She’ll be fitter than most after a run at the end of March, when second at Navan and we know she’ll stay – having run close over 2m4f over hurdles on heavy ground.
Of the rest, course winner Team Player is on a three-timer but up another 9lbs.
Spirit Mixer was 7th last season in the race but is back rated 6lbs higher.
Peaky Blinder won well at Southwell last time – however, that form has been knocked a few times since.
Blindedbythelights gets in with a featherweight of just 8-9 and sports the first-time blinkers – but does seem to love coming second, rather than winning.
Oh, and does have Mr Rodeo on his back Luke Morris – who, as many know, wouldn’t be my first-choice rider if I were an owner.
While of those at a price, Chemistry could get in the ‘mix’ after a good win over the sticks last time at Sedgefield, plus has a nice draw in 3 and a low weight (8-9).
🥇GALIEO DAME
🥈BLINDEDBYTHELIGHTS
🥉CHEMISTRY
Key Stats 📈
- 21/23 – Aged 7 years-old or younger
- 19/23 – Winning distance – 2 lengths or less
- 16/23 – Aged 5, 6 or 7 years-olds
- 16/23 – 10/1 or shorter in the betting
- 16/23 – Carried 9-2 or less
- 15/23 – Officially rated between 93-99
- 15/23 – Finished unplaced last time out
- 15/23 – Raced within the last 2 months
- 14/23 – Won previously over at least 2m on the flat
- 14/23 – Stall 7 or lower
- 11/23 – Favourites unplaced
- 11/23 – Irish bred
- 4/23 – Ran at Newmarket last time out
- 3/23 – Had won at the track before
- 3/23 – Ran at Aintree over hurdles last time out
- 3/23 – Won their previous race
- 3/23 – Won by the favourite
- 2/23 – Trained by Donald McCain
- 2/23– Trained by Richard Fahey
- 2/23 – Trained by Ian Williams
- 2/23 – Irish-trained winners
- The average winning SP in the last 23 years is 10/1
Chester Cup Stats
- Three repeat winner since 1997
- Since 1970 – just 5 winning favourites
- 13 of the last 18 winners carried between 8-11 and 9-4
- The Hills yard won the race in 1980, 1999, 2001 and 2009
- Since 1975 – all winners have been aged 8 or younger
- Since 1975 – only been 4 winners aged 8 years-old
- Since 1981 only 8 winners have carried more than 9-2 to victory (but 6 of the last 8 have won with 9st +)
- 4 of the last 15 winners came from NH yards
- 8 of the last 12 winners carried 9st or more
- 3 of the last 13 winners returned 10/1
- Jockeys Harry Davies, Ryan Moore and Jamie Spencer have won the race twice each since 2008
3:40 Chester – CRC Handicap Cl4 (4yo+ 0-80) 6f ITV4
A tough race to end the ITV action on the final day at Chester – with 16 runners tackling the 6f course.
But the 8yold PAWS FOR THOUGHT loves it here on the Roodee with eight wins at the track over his career and doesn’t look too badly treated off 78 – having won off 85 back in Sept 2024 here.
Miraculous is another CD winner to note, but I’ll also take a chance on ROSENPUR, who also seems to like this place.
This Jennie Candlish sprinter has form figures that read 7-2-2-3-1-10-1 and has returned this season with two fair runs at Catterick (2nd) and Musselburgh (6th).
Draw 5 also looks a plus over this 6f trip as we know the lower berths over the sprint trips generally have good returns.
🥇ROSENPUR
🥈PAWS FOR THOUGHT
🥉HOODIE HOO
Key Stats 📈
- No past runnings
- Julie Camacho is 3-10 (30%) with her 4+ year-olds at the track
- Mark Loughnane is just 2-37 (5%) with his 4+ year-olds at the track
- Oisin Murphy is 5-19 (26%) riding 4+ year-olds at the track
