Chester May Meeting 2022 Day 1 Tips: Check out our best bets for Wednesday's action on the Roodee

There's a real midweek treat for Flat racing fans this week as the three-day Chester May meeting kicks off on Wednesday afternoon, and we preview the action on the Roodee here and pick out our best bets for what should be a fabulous day's racing at the tight north west racecourse...

13:30 Chester - ICM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes

David O'Meara's unbeaten Star Of Lady M is entitled to be a short-priced favourite for the Lily Agnes, which kicks off Wednesday's racing at Chester at 13:30, but there could be a lively outsider in the shape of GLORIOUS ANGEL, who shaped with real promise on debut when finishing third at Nottingham and the daughter of Cotai Glory could improve significantly from that effort. She has the tough task of trying to gain a prominent position from stall seven, but that's certainly factored into her price, but she showed great toe away from the stalls on her first career start, so she could get involved at the head of affairs early on. She ran all the way to the line that day, so she will certainly be a prominent figure in the final furlong, and with her pedigree suggesting speed then she could well cause a shock in the opener.

14:40 Chester - Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Cheshire Oaks

Having shown significant promise on debut over a mile, the Joseph O'Brien-trained ABOVE THE CURVE was always destined for a career over longer distances and she showed that when breaking her maiden tag over 1m 2f at Leopardstown in early April. The daughter of American Pharoah will step up in distance once again for Wednesday's Cheshire Oaks, and she's entitled to be a warm order for the 1m 3f 75y contest. Currently a 12/1 chance for the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom next month, she will need to win this event if she is to be considered a real Classic candidate, but the manner in which she pulled comfortably clear of her inferior rivals last time out suggest that she could be a really smart three-year-old to go to war with this season.

15:40 Chester - Deepbridge Handicap

Richard Fahey's BUCKSHAW VILLAGE produced a career best over six furlongs on quick ground as a juvenile as he finished second in a maiden at Haydock Park, and he will have similar conditions at Chester on Wednesday and he looks the value play in a hugely competitive event. He struggled on his comeback run in soft conditions as he was last of seven behind one of today's rivals Pocket The Profit at Pontefract, but he showed better signs at Ripon last time out on quicker ground over five furlongs, and the step back up to six here should suit much better. Available at double-figured odds, at the time of writing, the Fahey-trained raider can make the most of a decent draw in stall 4 and can storm past his rivals in the closing stages of the race to claim the win.

16:45 Chester - Stephen Wade Handicap

A winner of this race 12 months ago, BROKEN SPEAR will look to retain the 7f 1y crown in the final race of the day on day one of Chester's May meeting. A winner off a mark of 85 in last year's renewal, the six-year-old will line up off a 1lb lower mark in this year's contest, so he's extremely attractively handicapped for what is the toughest betting conundrum on the card. He will have to contend with quicker ground in the 2022 renewal, but he showed when a fine fifth in the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster that he can land a notable blow off a mark in the mid-80s and a return to Chester could see him shine once again. Down the field at Redcar last time out, he will need to improve from that effort, but stall five should be an OK draw for him here and he can duly storm to glory for the second year on the bounce.