Chester May Festival Day Two

Good afternoon from Chester’s Roodee! If you followed the action yesterday, welcome back. Today marks day two of the May Festival, featuring the Dee Stakes, which is the second Derby trial, alongside the Group Three Ormonde Stakes for stayers.

The Dee Stakes has had a mixed reputation over its 212-year history. Sometimes it’s been a solid indicator for the Derby, but it’s also had its fair share of surprises. Interestingly, it’s perhaps the only recognized Derby trial that a future Grand National winner has won. That was Voluptuary, who claimed the Dee in 1881 but couldn’t place at Epsom shortly after, only to shine at Aintree three years later.

Today’s lineup looks more promising than some recent editions, especially with High Stock, the recent Wood Ditton Stakes winner, in the mix. This event, held at Newmarket in mid-April, is typically for unraced three-year-olds and occasionally features a future star who couldn’t compete as a juvenile. High Stock is expected to cover at least a mile and a quarter, making today’s race a crucial moment to see if he’s a Derby contender.

On the other hand, the Ormonde Stakes is quite intriguing as well, showcasing Illinois, last year’s St Leger runner-up, against the versatile Absurde, who has shown impressive adaptability, having previously won at the Cheltenham Festival and performed credibly in the Melbourne Cup.

The Dee Stakes is set to go off at 2:35 PM, while the Ormonde is scheduled for 3:05 PM. The card kicks off at 1:30 PM with a five-furlong handicap. Notably, there are a dozen runners in this race, with all drawn from higher-numbered stalls, which is quite unusual for a track where the draw can heavily influence sprints.