Chester
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Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap
Starts in
Awaiting result
All Runners — sorted by TrackLab Score
Good Value
TrackLab Insight
The market favourite at 4.5, which stands out immediately given that this horse has only won once from eight career races. The draw in stall 1 is a genuine asset — the lowest possible position at a track where low draws dominate — and recent form has been improving, with a second and fourth in the last two runs. However, the jockey has gone 0 from 13 in the past two weeks, and this horse has never won on normal ground conditions.
Market favourite (4.5)
Good Value
TrackLab Insight
The only course winner in this field — she has won here at Chester over this exact 5-furlong trip before, which is a rare and meaningful edge. She also draws low in stall 2, the prime position at this track where horses in stalls 1-5 win 14% of races compared to just 3% from the high draws. The concern is that she raced here just 2 days ago and finished 10th, beaten nearly 10 lengths — bouncing back that quickly would be a tall order.
Only course winner (1 from 2 here)
Has won over this course and distance
Best record at this trip (3 from 6)
Runs again after just 2 days
TrackLab Insight
The perfect record — three races, three wins — makes Champonie one of the most intriguing runners here, but there are genuine unknowns to weigh up. She has never raced on normal ground, having won all three times on artificial surfaces indoors at Wolverhampton and Newcastle, so this is new territory. Stall 7 is a middle draw, not ideal at Chester, but her unbeaten record at least demands respect.
Never raced on normal ground
Lightly raced (3 career races)
Trainer Quotes
Apr 2026
"Her owners have been rewarded for their patience and she's unbeaten in two starts. I think the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes could be fun. She only needs one more run to qualify and she's on a mark I hope she can be competitive off. There are some great three-year-old sprint handicaps and she might even be able to step up in class over the minimum trip. 02-04-26"
TrackLab Insight
Draws low in stall 4 — right in the sweet spot at Chester where stalls 1-5 produce the most winners by a significant margin. This horse also has the best record on today's ground conditions of anyone in the field, having placed in six of eight career races and finishing second at Thirsk just 20 days ago. It rarely wins but it almost always finishes close, and today's low draw could be the factor that finally tips things in its favour.
Best record on this ground (1 from 6)
Good Value
TrackLab Insight
Won at Bath just 11 days ago and arrives here in the best recent form of almost anyone in the field, having placed in two of his last three races. Like Kolkata Knight though, stall 11 is a real problem at this track — high draws are a serious handicap at Chester over 5f, and this horse will need to work hard from the start just to get into a good position. His trainer has been in excellent form recently, winning 3 from 5 in the past two weeks.
Placed in 2 of last 3 races
TrackLab Insight
The best career win rate in the field — winning roughly 1 in every 3 races — and a narrow second-place finish just 38 days ago suggests this horse is in decent shape. The problem is stall 12: horses drawn that wide at Chester over 5f have a desperately poor record, winning just 3% of races from double-figure draws. That alone makes life very difficult regardless of ability.
Best career win rate in field (1 in 3)
TrackLab Insight
Won at Southwell 27 days ago and has placed in over half of its 11 career races, which speaks to a consistent horse that regularly runs its race. Stall 5 is ideal at Chester — right in the low-draw zone that produces the most winners at this track over 5f. The concern is that it has never won on normal ground or fast ground, doing its best work on artificial surfaces, so the conditions today are uncharted territory.
Placed in 2 of last 3 races
TrackLab Insight
One of the most experienced horses in the field with 10 career races, but has only won once and has never won on normal ground conditions — the exact conditions on offer today. Drawing in stall 10 puts it right on the boundary between the favourable and unfavourable draw zones at Chester, and the jockey has gone without a winner in his last four rides. Consistent enough to finish placed again, but a winner looks unlikely.
Among the more experienced (10 career races)
TrackLab Insight
This horse has been absent for over seven months and was well beaten in its last two runs before that break, finishing 12th and 13th in decent company. Drawing in stall 13 adds another layer of difficulty given Chester's strong bias towards low draws. The jockey and trainer have never won together in 26 attempts, which rounds off a pretty tough picture.
Placed in 2 of last 3 races
TrackLab Insight
Oisin Murphy is one of the best jockeys in Britain and has been in sharp form — 6 wins from 21 rides in the past two weeks — but he couldn't get this horse to run its race here just 2 days ago, finishing 12th beaten 13 lengths. Running again so quickly after a poor effort, from stall 14 at a course where high draws are a real disadvantage, makes this a very hard sell despite the jockey quality on board.
Runs again after just 2 days
Jockey in best form (6 from 21 last 2wk)
TrackLab Insight
Rated 90, this is one of the highest-rated horses in the field, yet the market has almost entirely given up on it — odds drifting to 36/1 tells its own story. A 14th-place finish at Thirsk just 20 days ago offers little encouragement, and drawing in the middle of the track at stall 9 is a disadvantage at Chester over 5f, where low draws win at nearly five times the rate of high ones. Hard to make a case for it here.
Unfancied in the market despite a high rating
TrackLab Insight
The lowest-rated horse in the field by some way — 7 pounds below the field average — and carrying the lightest weight, which softens that gap slightly. Draws low in stall 3, which is a genuine plus at Chester, and its trainer has been in good recent form. The worry is that last time out was a disaster — 13th beaten nearly 25 lengths at Ripon — and it has never won on normal ground, though it did win on similar artificial surfaces.
Lowest rated, 7lbs below average
Carries lowest weight in field
3 straight top-3 finishes
Trainer in best form (2 from 10 last 2wk)
TrackLab Insight
With just two career races, this is the least experienced runner in the field alongside Champonie, and she has never raced on normal ground — her only win came on an artificial surface. A 98-day break since her last run adds further uncertainty, and stall 8 is a mid-draw at a track that heavily rewards low draws. There simply isn't enough evidence to get excited here.
Never raced on normal ground
Lightly raced (2 career races)
TrackLab Insight
Three career wins makes this one of the more successful horses in the field on paper, but the recent form is poor — 7th at Lingfield last time out — and the market has drifted it out to 38/1. Stall 6 is a decent low-ish draw that at least won't work against it at Chester, but the jockey and trainer have never won together, and there's no visible reason to expect a turnaround today.
One of the more successful in the field (3 career wins)
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