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RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
East India Dock justifies favouritism in Chester Cup
Harry Davies registered back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes Chester Cup as East India Dock made a brilliant winning return to the Flat. Successful aboard Hugo Palmer's Zoffee 12 months ago, Davies is now forming a blossoming relationship with Newmarket handler James Owen and delivered the Triumph Hurdle third to perfection in the prestigious £170,000 handicap. It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: "He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. "Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. "To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one." The Foxes (above) demonstrated his class with a decisive victory in the Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes . From his position in stall one, Oisin Murphy got the perfect run round aboard the son of Churchill, always travelling smoothly and in the ideal spot to pounce at the business end of the Group Two event. The champion jockey angled out the 13-8 favourite rounding the home turn and he had plenty of horse underneath him to gallop on to score by a length and three-quarters from Alice Haynes' 40-1 outsider Cairo. It was the perfect way for the Andrew Balding-trained five-year-old to build on an opening run of the year in Qatar in February, with a host of big-race options now available. Balding, speaking away from the course said: "We're delighted with him and he's a very good horse on his day. "He had a few niggles mid-season last year but he's come back strong with a couple of good runs abroad and he looked there like he was somewhere near his best, which is encouraging for the season ahead. "This horse is effective at a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half really, but we will probably explore mile-and-a-quarter options and possibly look at Royal Ascot."
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
East India Dock flies home for Chester Cup honours
It was Ryan Moore who set the fractions aboard Joseph O'Brien's Leinster and when the leading jockey allowed his mount to stride on passing the five-furlong marker on the second circuit, the four-year-old appeared full of running. The field swarmed rounding the home turn with George Scott's progressive Caballo De Mar laying down a stern challenge and hitting the front a furlong out, but East India Dock was staying on with every stride as the 9-4 favourite turned Cheltenham Festival disappointment into Roodee delight. 🏆 East India Dock wins the Ladbrokes Chester Cup! 🏆 Harry Davies does it AGAIN!#ITVRacing | @ChesterRaces — ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 9, 2025 Owen's charge returned a length verdict over Caballo De Mar, with defending champion and Davies' old favourite Zoffee an honourable third, and the winning trainer was delighted to see a plan come together for his owners. He said: 'He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. 'Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. 'To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one.' Davies told Sky Sports Racing: 'I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. Harry Davies excelled aboard East India Dock (Martin Rickett/PA) 'He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. 'He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. 'He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. 'James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chester May Festival 2025: East India Dock wins the Chester Cup
East India Dock (9-4 favourite) grabbed victory in the Ladbrokes Chester Cup on final day of the 2025 Boodles Chester May Festival. James Owen's four-year-old, who had finished third in the JCB Triumph Hurdle over Jumps at the Cheltenham Festival, transferred that form back to the Flat to land the prestigious feature on the Roodee, under Harry Davies. The jockey was winning the race for a second successive season after partnering Zoffee 12 months ago. Last year's winner, the Hugo Palmer-trained Zoffee – from the nearby Manor House Stables of former England and Liverpool FC forward Michael Owen – went to the front initially before Irish raider Leinster (10-3) and Ryan Moore took over with Caballo De Mar (11-2) sat in third. Davies had East India Dock just in behind the leading trio and as the pace increased, he followed Caballo De Mar through when that in-form rival moved to the front after the turn for home. But East India Dock was travelling supremely well and having closed in on his main rival, he moved clear and score by a length from Caballo De Mar. Zoffee ran another fine race and having been second in 2023 and won last year, he came home third a length-and-three-quarters back with Leinster a further three-quarters-of-a-length further adrift in fourth and Who's Glen (9-1) fifth. READ MORE: Chester May Festival 2025 day three: Caballo De Mar can win the Chester Cup READ MORE: Chester May Festival 2025: Lambourn wins the Chester Vase to book Derby ticket Newmarket trainer Owen was winning his first Chester Cup with only his second runner in the race and was delighted to see his owners' plan come to fruition. He said: "He travelled lovely and hit his flat spot like he usually does but he stayed on well. (Owners) Tim and Mr (Bill) Gredley had this plan and it's great that we have pulled it off. There are some big pots on the Flat and he's a lovely dual-purpose horse now. To win the Chester Cup is fantastic, we've hit the crossbar a few times coming here, but it's nice to have a winner here and we've won the big one." Davies, who became the first jockey to win back-to-back runnings of the Chester Cup since Philip Robinson scored twice on Anak Pekan in 2004 and 2005, told Sky Sports Racing: "I'm very lucky to get the rides in this race I have and every time I have ridden in it I don't think I've had a bad ride. He got a good draw which always helps round here and he jumped good, I was able to hold my pitch and then he was gutsy. He stays well and had the perfect profile coming into the race. "He loved that dead ground and while everything else was sort of half struggling, he just cruised on through – what a tough horse and I'm delighted for connections. He's a strong traveller and when horses have run over hurdles they learn how to relax better and in a race like this where you have to really rev them to hold their pitch, if they can then relax and drop the bridle there is nothing better. James has been very supportive of me and the Gredley Family have also been happy for me to ride their horses and I was delighted when I got the ride on this fella." Michael Bell's Let's Dream (33-1) landed a shock victory in the Precision Facades Handicap under Warren Fentiman. The four-year-old held on to score by a head from Auld Toon Loon (18-1) with Rathgar (6-1) a further two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length back in third just holding off Flight Leader (33-1) by a short head.
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Horse racing: Chester Cup day, latest news, tips and more
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Good afternoon from Chester on the final day of the track's May meeting, when after two days of stepping stones to Epsom's Classics and the Royal meeting at Ascot, the big race is all about backing a winner at decent odds in the here and now. The Chester Cup is a race for the punters, pure and simple, and they have been cramming onto the Roodee in the hope of returning home with a lot more money in their pockets ever since Doge Of Venice took the first running all the way back in 1824 (barely a quarter of a century after the abdication of the last actual Doge of Venice in 1797). It is, when all's said and done, just a handicap. But like the Grand National over jumps, the fact that the Chester Cup is a handicap also means that it is not a race that can be won simply by throwing enough money at it. It adds to the fascination. You could hatch a plot to get a horse into this race with a handicap mark a stone short of its true ability, and it could still be frustrated by the draw or bad luck in running as the field makes two circuits of Britain's tightest track. Aidan O'Brien won the Chester Vase for the 11th time on Wednesday, and picked up a 12th Dee Stakes yesterday. But in its 201-year history, no trainer – or jockey – has ever won the Chester Cup more than four times, and it took the super-shrewd Barry Hills nearly 30 years to get those wins with Arapahos (1980), Rainbow High (1999 & 2001) and Daraahem (2009). The Chester Cup is due off at 3.05, and the card's main supporting race, the 10-furlong Huxley Stakes – the only Group Two event at the three-day meeting – is at 2.35. The sun is out at Chester, the going is good and we're under way at 1.30. Share
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Chester Cup tips 2025
The Chester Cup (3.05pm) dates back more than two centuries, having been first run in 1824, when it was a limited handicap called the Tradesmen's Cup. Sixteen runners are set to go to post for the showpiece race on the final day of Chester's May Festival on Friday and Ron Wood has run the rule over the field to come up with a selection. Although it's 15 years since the last time a favourite – Mamlook in 2010 – won the race, the market leader at the time of writing, East India Dock, is our expert's tip to land the £86,632 first prize. Chester Cup odds East India Dock @ 15/4 with Betfair Leinster @ 4/1 with Betfair Who's Glen @ 9/2 with Betfair Caballo De Mar @ 7/1 with Betfair Hot Fuss @ 10/1 with Betfair Divine Comedy @ 12/1 with Betfair Emiyn @ 12/1 with Betfair Zoffee @ 12/1 with Betfair Spirit Mixer @ 18/1 with Betfair Dawn Rising @ 20/1 with Betfair Duke Of Oxford @ 20/1 with Betfair Chester Cup tip Selection: East India Dock @ 15/4 with Betfair Odds, correct at the time of publishing, are subject to change. If you already have a Betfair account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. Look east for stand-out Chester prospect The Chester Cup is the headline race of the three-day Boodles May Festival and there's a horse with outstanding-looking claims in this famous old stayers' handicap. East India Dock is the runner in question. Since his last start on the Flat at Doncaster in September 2024, this son of Golden Horn has switched stables to James Owen and developed into a smart sort over hurdles, most recently finishing third in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Now reverting to the level, there's a good chance the selection will prove better than a handy handicap mark of 89 suggests. The four-year-old is a half-brother to Burdett Road, who has reached an official mark of 111 on the Flat and finished second in the Champion Hurdle on his latest outing. Today's 2m 2f trip is a furlong further than East India Dock has tried before, but staying is his game and he should have no problem with the distance around this tight circuit on decent ground. A draw in stall six should mean he's not covering too much extra ground in a race with 16 runners. He is ridden by Harry Davies, who rode Zoffee to win this race last year, and that rival re-opposes today, but last season's race was muddling and Zoffee is now nine and hasn't raced since September. Leinster, trained in Ireland by Joseph O'Brien, is lightly raced and may still be well in at the weights. He was a clear winner of a 1m 4f handicap at The Curragh on his seasonal reappearance in March and may improve for this step up in trip. However, the ground was soft last year and he has a choppy action that suggests he may not be as comfortable on the forecast quicker going on this occasion. Caballo De Mar has won his last five races, but four of those were on the all-weather at Southwell and he was allowed to dictate a steady pace for his most recent success. He is 5lb ahead of the handicapper under just a 3lb penalty, but this is a much more competitive scenario for him and he has to prove his stamina. The final runner to mention is Who's Glen. Andrew Balding's runner shaped well when second in the Queen's Prize at Kempton on his reappearance in March and he won at Chester last season – but the ground was heavy then. Conditions may be faster than ideal for him now and a double-figure draw complicates matters. Odds, correct at the time of publishing, are subject to change. Last 10 Chester Cup winners
