In looking ahead to upcoming horse races, it can be a bit hard to sort through the pile and focus on the favourites. The bottom line is, there are so many races going on throughout the UK at a given time, that those who wish to really follow horses and bet on races need to be on their toes, keeping track of daily matches and events. That said, however, most of us like to save our betting activity and sport following for the weekends, and with that in mind, here’s a look ahead at some of this coming Friday’s (August 30) races in the UK, and specifically at Chester. Keep in mind that betting may not be open yet for these matches, but as the week wears on you should see odds opening up on Betfair news and local racing sites. On to the races!

The 14:00 races at Chester will kick off the grounds’ last Friday event of the season, and has a number of young, relatively untested horses set to compete. Let’s take a look at a few of the presumptive favourites.

• Handwoven (Ireland) – This horse has had a fine season, finishing 2nd in a race as recently as August 23rd (its second 2nd place finish in a row). One of the more experienced horses in the race, Handwoven is worth keeping an eye on.
• Peak Royale (Great Britain) – Like Handwoven, Peak Royale is coming off of consecutive 2nd place finishes, though Royale’s were back in July. Still, this strong flat turf record is an indication that Peak Royale will be in the hunt at Chester.
• Tahadee (Ireland) – Tahadee hasn’t quite shown the promise of Handwoven or Peak Royale, but a 3rd place finish in a 17 horse race to start August, and a 4/12 finish on August 23rd have shown some potential. Tahadee could break through at Chester.

With plenty of racing in between, the Friday event at Chester will wrap up with a 17:15 Class 4 German Amateur Riders event that features a number of promising horses. Here’s a look at a few favourites to finish up the event.

• Kyllachy Star (Great Britain) – This horse has had a rough go of it lately, but has 15 career top-3 finishes, including 5 wins, on flat turf. Kyllachy Star has also won at this specific course, which makes the horse a favourite.
• Baltic Prince (Ireland) – Prince won a race as recently as mid-July, and has won before at Chester, at this distance. Baltic Prince will certainly be in the hunt.
• Rio Cobolo (Ireland) – One of the most experienced horses in the race, Rio Cobolo is also in the club of having won this course before. Rio Cobolo has had a very strong summer, and may be the prohibitive favourite when betting opens.