May is when the Flat season goes up a notch. We’ve already witnessed the Guineas Festival at Newmarket where Charlie Appleby won both the opening British Classics of the year.
Chester’s May Festival is next on the agenda, while the Dante Meeting at York will soon be on the horizon, alongside the Irish Guineas Festival at the Curragh.
Ten trainers to follow in May
Charlie Appleby
After his Guineas double at Newmarket, Charlie Appleby is certainly the man of the moment.
The Godolphin handler could send out last year’s Guineas winner, Notable Speech, in the Lockinge at Newbury on May 17, while Diamond Rain is a potential York-bound contender in the Middleton Fillies’ Stakes a couple of days earlier.
Andrew Balding
Chester’s May Festival begins on Wednesday and trainer Andrew Balding has proved himself something of a Roodee specialist, with 35 winners at the course in the last five seasons and a level-stakes profit of +33.43 from 168 runners at the Cheshire layout.
He’s got the promising Secret Of Love heading for the Cheshire Oaks on May 7.
Hugo Palmer
Second to Balding on the list of Chester winners across five seasons is Hugo Palmer with 29 winners from 157 runners for a very commendable 18 per-cent strike-rate at the track.
The Manor House Stables trainer could be looking to get Roaring Legend on the scoresheet in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester this week.
Aidan O’Brien
The master of Ballydoyle will be the one to beat at all the major festivals in Britain and Ireland and he’s no stranger to sending winners to the likes of Chester.
O’Brien was out of luck with his Guineas runners at the start of month but his string do tend to find their feet as we enter the meat of the season and, in particular, once Epsom and Royal Ascot start to loom closer.
William Haggas
A proud Yorkshireman, William Haggas loves nothing more than having winners on his home patch, as he showed when saddling a record fifth winner of the Lincoln at Doncaster earlier this spring with Godwinson.
Haggas also boasts 27 winners at York over the last five seasons, sharing top billing at the track with Andrew Balding in that timeframe. He’s sure to have some major hopes at the Dante Festival, where Crown Of Oaks and Noble Horizon are amongst his possible Dante contenders.
Richard Fahey
Based at Malton in North Yorkshire, Richard Fahey has long-been established as a leading force on the northern racing circuit, with the likes of Ripon, Doncaster, Pontefract and Wetherby amongst the locations he can be routinely spotted in the winners’ enclosure.
Ralph Beckett
There was a notable rise in numbers for Ralph Beckett in April, with 38 runners doubling any number he had saddled in the opening months of the year.
The Kimpton Down trainer has started May well, with a 27 per-cent strike-rate from 11 runners so far.
The Lingfield Classic Trials on May 10 could see the likes of That’s Amore, Revoir, Prince Of The Seas and Pinhole strutting their stuff.
George Boughey
The son of a Dorset farmer, George Boughey was determined to become a trainer from the age of 12 or 13, he says.
He’s now carving a name for himself as one of the rising stars in the British training ranks. In 2024, Boughey had a 22 per-cent strike-rate in the month of May, with 11 winners from 49 runners and nine more making the frame.
Charlie Johnston
Charlie Johnson has now assumed the role as trainer at Middleham Stables, succeeding his father, Mark, and while the name on the license has changed, the ability to consistently produce winners has not.
The Johnston yard has always been renowned for winners at Chester and often they can be at decent odds so don’t underestimate runners in handicaps at middle distances and beyond.
Roger Varian
April provided a real sign that Roger Varian’s string were starting to fire, with eight winners from 30 runners yielding a strike-rate in excess of 26 per-cent.
The progressive Rahiebb was a shade unfortunate at Haydock recently and could be one set for a step up in class soon, with entries in the Lingfield Derby Trial and the Dante at York open to him.
What Makes A Trainer Worth Following
There are plenty of factors to consider but, top of the pile is recent form. A stable in form is always to be noted and, equally, any yard enduring a cold streak must be considered too.
Anything close to 20 per-cent in terms of a winning strike-rate is representative of a stable well and truly in form.
Certain yards are also well noted for enjoying success at certain tracks. York’s Dante Meeting comes along in mid-May and the likes of Andrew Balding, Karl Burke, Ralph Beckett and David O’Meara were amongst the most successful trainers on the Knavesmire in 2024.
At Chester, meanwhile, it was Balding and Hugo Palmer that were the only trainers in double figures during the previous calendar year.
These are trends worth noting at all tracks, but Chester and York will be two of the pre-eminent UK venues in May.
Trainer Specialities and Strengths
With such a variety of races on the Flat, from sprinters to strong stayers, it’s always worth noting which handlers tend to best with certain types of horse.
Trainers like Karl Burke have a good association with sprinters, while Sir Mark Prescott tends to do well with middle distance and staying horses.
Fact-finding for which trainers do best in a particular discipline on the Flat can be crucial to successful punting.