Chester Tips: Tom Collins has two strong selections on Thursday's card

Seven races down, 14 to go. The second day of Chester's May Meeting beckons and our horse racing tipster Tom Collins is looking to get back on track with two tips on Thursday's card.

4.15 Chester, 5f maiden

There were two five-furlong sprints on day one - the opening Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes and a 0-105 handicap half an hour later. Despite both races being run in a similar tactical fashion (the leaders negotiated the first two furlongs in 26.01s and 26.17s respectively), punters were treated to contrasting finishes.

Pacesetters Star Of Lady M and Dunnington Lad trailed home in the last two spots in the Lily Agnes, a result that was impacted by the former’s failure to handle the tight turns. While Live In The Dream and Shamlaan, who dictated the fractions in the following handicap, finished first and third respectively in a race that saw very few get involved.

I’m more than happy to stick by the rail and front-running biases that so often produce the winners in Chester sprints and, with that in mind, Explicit has to be strongly considered in this five-furlong maiden.

This son of Expert Eye, who had his first winner as a sire last month when Sunny Orange won at Leicester, is bred to stay a mile in time. However, he showcased electric early pace when he made his debut at Musselburgh last month and only succumbed to the eventual winner in the final 100 yards.

Similar gatespeed and acceleration could see him clear those drawn inside, including the experienced Blatant and Democracy Dilemma, and that would give the Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained two-year-old every chance of taking home the first prize. He doesn’t have to improve much on figures to win a standard edition of this race, anyway. 

Seven of the last nine winners of this race entered the contest with just one run under their belt - the only exceptions being top juvenile Mehmas (2016) and Full Authority (2019), both of whom made their debut here.

Selection: Explicit @ 5.6

4.50 Chester, 1m4½f handicap

Ryan Moore was the star on show at Chester yesterday and wowed with perfect rides aboard the Aidan O’Brien-trained Thoughts Of June and Changingoftheguard in the Cheshire Oaks and Chester Vase respectively.  

The market for this staying handicap indicates we might see another Moore-ridden winner as thrice-raced maiden Temple Of Artemis bids to make an opening mark of 88 look foolish. A notable step up in trip might be the catalyst to an improved effort and front-running tactics could be employed from the inside gate, but there’s little juice in his current price. 

Hat-trick-seeking Trojan Horse is worthy of a second look given his trainer’s fine recent record in this race, as is recent Brighton winner Hoffman with stamina assured. But slight preference in a tricky heat goes to the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Abbado, who makes his first start after a 217-day layoff.

Prescott has an eyecatching 22 per cent strike-rate (8-36) with three-year-olds at Chester, producing a £1 level-stakes profit of +£11.88, and he certainly wouldn’t be running a promising sort at this meeting if he didn’t think he was ready to roll after a break. 

Abbado’s only turf start came on soft ground here, so we know he handles the track and give underfoot, and an opening mark of 86 doesn’t appear overly harsh given he’s already run to that level at two. From a nice inside draw, Abbado should go close under Luke Morris.

Selection: Abbado @ 4.1

Recommended bets

Explicit (4.15 Chester) @ 5.6
Abaddo (4.50 Chester) @ 4.1