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ITV Racing Tips on May 9th - Friday's selections on Chester Cup day

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 08 May 2025

Jon Vine 08 May 2025

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Free tips for the ITV races on Friday 9th May
Chester and Ascot feature on the ITV Racing schedule on Friday
The Foxes and Warda Jamila feature in our selections

Expired

Chester races. (Getty)

ITV Racing Schedule
1:30pm Chester - Earl Grosvenor Handicap Tips
1:50pm Ascot - Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Handicap Tips
2:00pm Chester - Maiden Stakes Tips
2:35pm Chester - Huxley Stakes Tips
3:05pm Chester - Chester Cup Tips
3:40pm Chester - Precision Facades Handicap Tips

Chester's May Festival wraps up with another excellent card on Friday, where the Chester Cup headlines the action. ITV Racing will again be showing five races live from Chester, plus one from Ascot on the opening day of their Victoria Cup meeting.

Here are my best betting tips for Friday's ITV Races at Chester and Ascot.

ITV Racing Schedule

Time	Track	Title
1:30pm	Chester	CAA Stellar Earl Grosvenor Handicap (Class 2) 7½f
1:50pm	Ascot	Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Handicap (Class 3) 7f
2:05pm	Chester	Boodles Darley EBF Maiden Stakes (Class 2) 1m4½f
2:35pm	Chester	Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes (Group 2)
3:05pm	Chester	Ladbrokes Chester Cup (Heritage Handicap) 2m2½f
3:40pm	Chester	Precision Facades Handicap (Class 2) 1m2½f

ITV Racing Tips - Friday 9th May

1:30pm Chester - Earl Grosvenor Handicap Tips

Two Tempting beat Divine Libra, Gorak and Yanifer over this course-and-distance at the end of August. Jonathan Portman's star has drawn the rail, so should go well again, but Divine Libra sits ahead of him in the betting and Gorak went close on his reappearance at Haydock. Maybe that form will be reversed?

At a longer price, I fancy CRACKING GOLD (14/1) to go well. Clive Cox's youngster made an excellent start to his career last season, winning twice on the all-weather before a fourth-place finish in the Esher Cup at Sandown. Cracking Gold had no chance from an awful draw in the Britannia, and was gelded after a fourth-place finish on the July Course in August.

Again, Cox started his gelding out on the all-weather, with Cracking Gold winning on his first start after a wind-op at Southwell, before struggling on Finals Day at Newcastle. Cracking Gold returns to the turf running off a workable mark and jockey, David Probert rode back-to-back winners of this handicap for Andrew Balding, so he knows how to get the job done.

1:50pm Ascot - Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Handicap Tips

Over to Ascot now for a cracking three-year-old handicap, where I fancy SHOUT (7/1) could build on a promising reappearance at Newbury.

Simon & Ed Crisford's youngster impressed as a juvenile, winning the second of his three novice outings at Salisbury. Shout rounded off his juvenile campaign with an emphatic handicap win at Doncaster, for which he was handed a fresh mark of 92.

Rab Havlin's mount still looked a little gawky and awkward on his return at Newbury and, while Back In Black proved too strong on the day, Shout ran on well late on to place second. The Crisford's have fitted cheek-pieces for this assignment and a high draw is usually better than a low one on the straight track at Ascot.

2:00pm Chester - Maiden Stakes Tips

Nothing appeals to me in this maiden. I'll leave it well alone.

the foxes stakes — Oisin Murphy riding The Foxes (blue) win The Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York in 2023. (Getty)

2:35pm Chester - Huxley Stakes Tips

Following a superb effort behind Revel's Romance out in the UAE in February, I'm expecting THE FOXES (11/8) will be hard to beat on his return to Britain.

Andrew Balding's five-year-old struggled during the first half of 2024, but bounced back to top form with a three-length victory in the Churchill Stakes at Newcastle in November. The Foxes then travelled over to Hong Kong, where he finished a fairly close fourth behind the brilliant Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup.

Rebel's Romance made all to win the The Amir Trophy, but The Foxes stuck to his task well to finish a clear second to Charlie Appleby's multiple Group One winner. That's easily the best piece of form in this Group Two and The Foxes has landed a nice drawn in stall one.

3:05pm Chester - Chester Cup Tips

Read our full guide to the 2025 Chester Cup to find out who we've backed in Friday's feature at Chester.

Visit our Chester Cup Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Friday's races at Chester via a mobile or tablet.

3:40pm Chester - Precision Facades Handicap Tips

Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy could celebrate a double on Chester Cup day, if WARDA JAMILA (5/1) follows The Foxes into the winners' enclosure. Balding's filly went close in a red-hot handicap at Glorious Goodwood last term, before claiming victory on her next outing at Haydock.

Callum Hutchinson's mount looked to be coming to challenge the leaders on her reappearance at Epsom, but Warda Jamila couldn't see her challenge through and was relegated to fourth in the closing stages. That was still an encouraging reappearance from Balding's filly, who should come on for that return to action and remains on a workable handicap mark.

Verdict

ITV Racing at Chester and Ascot

Friday's Top ITV Racing Tips:

The Foxes

2:35pm Chester

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Warda Jamila

3:40pm Chester

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Shout

1:50pm Ascot

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Cracking Gold E/W

1:30pm Chester

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