A hugely competitive renewal of the Chester Cup will take place at 3.05pm on Friday 8th May. The feature race of the May meeting, the 2m 2f 140y marathon is set to see 17 horses compete.
Our in-house tipster previews the showpiece event and picks out his 1-2-3 for the race, whilst also taking a look at the runners, odds and trends for the Chester highlight.
2026 Chester Cup Runners
Joseph O’Brien will unleash a three-pronged attack in the Chester Cup with former Cheltenham Festival winner Puturhandstogether, A Piece Of Heaven and Galileo Dame lining up for the Irish handler. Drawn out wide, Puturhandstogether face a huge task from stall 17 and the former Irish Cesarewitch winner will have his work cut out. Galileo Dame warmed up for this with a second placed finish at Navan on the level, but has shown a decent level of form over hurdles. With Ryan Moore getting the ride then he is likely to be a huge player. However, A Piece Of Heaven could be the leading challenger from the yard. Drawn in stall one, he’s been running well of late and could be tough to hold off from an inside draw.
Second in seven of his last nine races, Sir Mark Prescott’s Blindedbythelights is interesting. Continually finding one too good, he is one that has to run a big race. Fifth on his comeback run at Musselburgh, Moon Over Miami runs for Ralph Beckett. He ended last season with a fine win at Newbury and a repeat of that effort should see him figure.
Andrew Balding last won this in 2017 with Montaly and he has three taking their chance here. Spirit Mixer and Peaky Blinder are two of his primary shots fired. However, Oisin Murphy aboard Berkshire Sundance looks interesting and he comes into the event on the back of two wins on the bounce, and looks to be an ultra-progressive handicapper.
2026 Chester Cup Runners
15:05 Chester
GoodLadbrokes Chester Cup (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race)
- First Prize: £87618
- 2m 2f 140y
- Class 2
- 15 runners
- Win time: 4m 1s
7/1 (Won)
- Win: £8.00
- Place: £2.50
25/1
- Place: £6.30
50/1
- Place: £17.00
6/1
7/1
18/1
9/2F
11/1
16/1
22/1
17/2
40/1
11/2
7/1
125/1
Non-runners
Tashkhan, Lips Freedom
+o+e Betting Returns
| Payout | |
|---|---|
| Exacta | £206.80 |
| Straight Forecast | £186.89 |
| Tricast | £7992.91 |
| Trifecta | £11168.30 |
Selections
SPOTLIGHT:
Moon Over MiamiThe Star:
PuturhandstogetherThe Guardian:
A Piece Of HeavenNEWMARKET:
BlindedbythelightsLAMBOURN:
Berkshire SundanceTOPSPEED:
Alphonse Le GrandeDaily Mail:
Moon Over MiamiDaily Record:
Puturhandstogether2026 Chester Cup Trends
We pick out the key Chester Cup trends here ahead of the 2026 race. Find all the stats and form guides before picking your winner!
2026 Chester Cup Tips
Andrew Balding has already been on the scoresheet at the May meeting and he can land a second Chester Cup on Friday with Berkshire Sundance. Impressive when winning at Lingfield and Newcastle, the six-year-old has to contend with a 7lbs higher mark for this contest, but the 96-rated could possibly continue his improvement. He can down Joseph O’Brien’s A Piece Of Heaven, who can grab second place. Ralph Beckett’s Moon Over Miami can complete the placings in third.
FAQ
When and where is the Chester Cup run?
The Chester Cup will take place at Chester racecourse on Friday 8th May, 2026 at 3.05pm.
How can I watch the Chester Cup on Friday?
The Chester Cup is live on ITV at 3.05pm on Friday afternoon.
When were the Chester Cup tips published?
The tips for the Chester Cup were published at 1.00pm on Thursday 7th May.
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