Horse Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's best bets for Chester Cup Day

14:05 Chester - Back Galiyan @ 15/82.88

Chester Cup day opens with a competitive handicap and, while I was tempted to put up Burhan again having tipped him last time, I decided to pass on the race and will instead have my first bet in the following maiden.

With three runs already under his belt and a BHA rating of 91, Ralph Beckett's Joulany sets the standard, but he surely can't have all that much more improvement to come and I was happy to take him on with one who has had only a sole start but shaped really well.

Andrew Balding's Galiyan in a Newbury novice last month and it's a race that looks sure to throw up its share of winners despite attracting just a small field. The first three were trained by Appleby, O'Brien and Gosden respectively, and Galiyan in finishing fourth showed plenty to work despite being very green throughout the race.

He wasn't given anything like a hard time on that debut and looks sure to benefit from that sympathetic ride and the relevant experience he will gain from having a run under his belt.

Timeform don't hand out the large P symbol all that often, but Galiyan sports it and he rates one of the stronger bets on the card.

14:35 Chester - Back Lambourn @ 13/82.63

The big stakes race of the day is the Group 2 Huxley Stakes over 1m 2f, and while there is a slight doubt over last season's Epsom and Irish Derby winner Lambourn dropping back to this trip, he sets a good standard on form and is still the one to beat.

A winner twice over 1m as a juvenile, the selection started off last season with a second in the Ballysax over this trip at Leopardstown before taking the Chester Vase at this track and completing a hat-trick with his wins at Epsom and the Curragh.

He did end his season on rather a low note with defeats in the Great Voltigeur at York and the St Leger, but a freshening over the winter should have done him the world of good and he could well be the standard bearer for his stable in the middle-distance older horse division this term.

As mentioned earlier, the slight doubt is whether he can be as effective dropping back to this trip, but Aidan O'Brien knows his horses much better than the likes of me and if he's happy to start Lambourn off over this distance then I'm not one to argue with the master trainer.

15:05 Chester - Back Galileo Dame E/W @ 11/26.50

The key to unravelling a typically competitive renewal of the Chester Cup may well be figuring out which of Joseph O'Brien's trio will emerge best and I'm siding with Ryan Moore's mount Galileo Dame.

This five-year-old mare was a winner over hurdles back in February and then made a fine return to the flat when second over 1m 6f at Navan in March, that being her first handicap start on the level having run in a trio of listed races last season.

The selection has yet to be tried over an extreme trip in this sphere but she does have placed form at 2m 4f over hurdles, so she shouldn't have any issues staying and may even improve for having her stamina drawn out further. Galileo Dame also draws well in stall six and the booking of the aforementioned Ryan Moore can only be a positive for her chances.

While I'm hoping she'll come out best of the O'Brien trio, it would be no surprise should either of his other representatives give really good accounts, with Dylan Browne McMonagle on board the favourite at time of writing, A Piece Of Heaven.

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