After the excitement of the Kentucky Derby and the 2000 Guineas last weekend, this week has a slightly calmer feel, although there is still plenty of worthwhile racing spread across Britain, Ireland and further afield.
Friday’s attention falls on Chester, where the tight turning track stages two of its feature races. The Huxley Stakes provides Group action over ten furlongs, while the historic Chester Cup once again brings together a large field of stayers over two miles and two furlongs.
Saturday offers a varied programme with meetings at Ascot, Lingfield, Haydock, Warwick, Nottingham and Naas, alongside international racing from Sha Tin, Australia and the United States. Haydock’s Spring Trophy Stakes looks the pick of the domestic races, while in Australia the Sportsbet Goodwood takes centre stage at Morphettville. Across in America, Percy Warner Park stages the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes, one of the more notable races of the weekend.
Sunday’s main action comes from Leopardstown, where the Mutamakina Stakes headlines the card.
The early part of next week is quieter, with meetings at Southwell, Catterick and Windsor on Monday, while Roscommon and Killarney provide the Irish action. Tuesday sees racing from Beverley, Hereford and Lingfield’s all-weather card.
Attention then turns to York on Wednesday, where the Dante meeting gets under way. The Musidora Stakes stands out as an important Oaks trial, while the Minster Stakes adds further quality to the card. More action follows from York on Thursday as one of the key Flat meetings of the spring continues.
Big races this week
Deepbridge Huxley Stakes: 2:35pm Chester, 8 May (iTV4)
Ladbrokes Chester Cup: 3:05pm Chester, 8 May (iTV4)
The Sportsbet Goodwood: 7:30am Morphettville, 9 May (Stream)
Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes: 9:40pm Percy Warner Park, 9 May (Stream)
Mutamakina Stakes: 2:25pm, Leopardstown, 10 May (RTV)
Amethyst Stakes: 3:00pm, Leopardstown, 10 May (RTV)
Minster Stakes: 3:30pm, York, 13 May (iTV)
Musidora Stakes: 4:05pm, York, 13 May (iTV)
*All races above are listed in UK time.
Race Notes
3:05 Chester – Ladbrokes Chester Cup (2m2½f, Good)
The Chester Cup looks as competitive as ever this year, with several progressive stayers and a few proven course specialists lining up for one of the season’s most famous staying handicaps.
One of the more interesting runners is Moon Over Miami, who arrives after his return at Musselburgh. He won three of his first four turf starts, including over two miles at Newbury, and looks likely to improve for both the longer trip and that recent run under his belt.
Peaky Blinder also catches the eye. Andrew Balding’s lightly raced four-year-old has won his last two starts in good style and still looks open to improvement. His low weight and inside draw could prove useful around Chester’s tight circuit.
Joseph O’Brien has a strong hand in the race, headed by Puturhandstogether, winner of last year’s Irish Cesarewitch and a horse proven over marathon trips. The widest draw is far from ideal, but his staying ability and proven class make him difficult to dismiss. Stablemate Galileo Dame also looks interesting after a solid second at Navan, with this longer trip potentially bringing out more improvement.
For each-way players, Blindedbythelights could run another solid race. He has finished runner-up in six of his last seven starts and has a good low draw for a horse likely to be played late.
At slightly bigger odds, Team Player is another worth considering after two impressive wins this year at Newcastle and Musselburgh. He continues to improve and already has winning form at Chester.
Overall, this looks a decent renewal with several runners arriving in strong form, but Moon Over Miami and Peaky Blinder appeal most as progressive stayers who may still have more to offer in this division.
Selection: Peaky Blinder (win), Blindedbythelights (each-way)
Antepost Watch
The ante-post market for the 2026 Epsom Oaks saw a major shake-up this week following Amelia Earhart’s impressive victory in the Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks at Chester.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, the filly travelled strongly throughout before pulling clear to beat previous Oaks favourite I’m The One by two lengths in one of the key trials for the Classic.
Bookmakers reacted quickly after the performance, with Amelia Earhart cut from around 8/1 into 3/1 favourite for the Oaks, while I’m The One drifted back out to around 6/1.
Racing Syndicates
Emris Racing are a new name in the syndicate space, and their latest addition, the filly Ellie, looks a really interesting prospect for anyone keen to get involved early with a National Hunt horse. Trained by Fergal O'Brien, she is by Passing Glance and comes from a proper staying family, with depth that includes Numbersixvalverde, who won the 2005 Irish Grand National and the 2006 Aintree Grand National.
The set-up at Emris Racing focuses on giving members a clear, behind-the-scenes view of a horse’s progress, from early education through to the racecourse. Ellie is still at the early stages, but she looks the type who could give her owners a lot to look forward to as she develops.
Betting Offers
Betfred offers a wide range of betting markets across UK and international racing, while also playing a prominent role as sponsor of several major British Classics, including flagship events like the Epsom Derby and the Guineas. Their sponsorship is often complemented by race day ticket giveaways and dedicated promotions around these marquee fixtures, giving customers extra value in the build‑up to the big meetings.
18+ Please gamble responsibly. #ad Need help? contact GambleAware.org
Racing News
Here are a few racing updates that caught the eye this week.
Racing Legends - Dawn Run
Forty years on from her greatest triumph, Dawn Run remains the only horse in history to have won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nobody has come close since. Nobody, perhaps, ever will.
The story begins in a field in County Kilkenny, where a big bay mare was making life difficult for anyone who came near her.
Thanks for reading! Let’s catch up again next week.
Regards
The Newsletter Team
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