08-05-2025
Chester May Festival 2025 day three: Caballo De Mar can win the Chester Cup
CABALLO DE MAR can triumph in the Ladbrokes Chester Cup (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (3.05pm) on final day of the Boodles Chester May Festival.
George Scott's four-year-old has been in fine form on the all-weather recently and he can transfer that back on Turf to land the prestigious feature of the May meeting on the Roodee. Having landed a first career win on his eighth start over an extended 1m5f at Ayr last September, the gelded son of Phoenix Of Spain has turned into a winning machine, scoring four times on the all-weather track at Southwell. He has progressed up the handicap ratings with those four wins, the last over 2m½f at the end of last month. He has risen 19lbs since that first success in Scotland but he keeps defying the handicapper and the latest win saw him pick up a 5lb penalty which ensured his place in Friday's Chester Cup.
He still looks on a winnable mark and back on Turf he can progress further to triumph. Caballo De Mar has a decent enough draw in stall eight and as a horse who likes to race prominently he can hopefully get a good early position. He is yet to stay this far but everything suggests he will and it may bring out more improvement in him.
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The Hugo Palmer-trained Zoffee – from the nearby Manor House Stables of former England and Liverpool FC forward Michael Owen – won the race last year and will go well again off the same handicap mark as his triumph 12 months ago, from another good draw in stall four. Andrew Balding's recent Kempton runner-up Who's Glen and the Joseph O'Brien-trained Irish raider Leinster are others who have a chance of victory but Caballo De Mar can just come out on top.
THE FOXES can win the Group Two IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes (2.35pm). Andrew Balding's five-year-old won the Dante Stakes at York in 2023 before finishing fifth in the Derby at Epsom and runner-up in the Grade One Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. He probably hasn't gone on as well as connections hoped since that promising Classic year. But he did win a Listed event over 1m2f at Newcastle in November last year before finishing fourth in the Group One Hong Kong Cup the following month. He finished second to Rebel's Romance in the Amir Trophy at Al Uqda in February and will be making his seasonal return in Britain on the Roodee. This looks a good starting point for the son of Churchill and he can beat chiefly Space Legend to land a first Group race win since that Dante Stakes victory.
TAILORMAN can take the finale to Chester's May Festival, the Ladbrokes Get Rewarded With Ladbucks Chester Plate Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (4.45pm). Trainer Ian Williams has a good record in staying contests on the Roodee and his five-year-old can provide him with another victory in the 2m2f handicap. Tailorman is yet to win beyond two miles, but he has some good form in these type of events, having been placed three times at Chester. He was third over two miles last August and second over an extended 1m6f the following month on the Roodee. He won at Kempton later on in September and is generally very consistent. He returned to action with another placed effort, when third at Nottingham at the end of last month. With that run under his belt he can do even better and triumph ahead of chiefly Charlie Johnston pair Artisan Dancer and previous course winner Dreams Adozen.
Course and distance winner TWO TEMPTING can score again on the Roodee in the opener, the CAA Stellar Earl Grosvenor Handicap (1.30pm). Jonathan Portman's six-year-old won over course and distance from just a 1lb higher handicap mark last August. He ran a decent race when fourth at Newbury last month, hinting that he may be ready to return to winning ways. He is drawn in stall one and although it is not as advantageous over a mile at Chester, it is still always preferable to be in the low numbers. Two Tempting can take advantage and score again.
RATHGAR can win the Precision Facades Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (3.40pm). Jack Channon's five-year-old won at Goodwood and Yarmouth last season, the first over 1m6f and the latter in July over this 1m2f trip. He is 3lb higher in the handicap now but he ran a smart race to be second to City Of Delight at Epsom last month. Rathgar can go one better and return to winning ways.
REEL ROSIE could land something of a shock win in the Xenon Workplace Apprentice Handicap (GBBplus Race) (4.10pm). Jennie Candlish's six-year-old has been running over Jumps recently, winning at Sedgefield in November and finishing third at the same venue in January. She is back on the Flat for the first time since she was sixth at Wolverhampton in October. But Candlish's mare has won at Chester over 1m2f in September 2023 and she is now 2lb lower than for that success. The hope is she can take advantage of that mark over this longer trip of 1m4f to at least make the frame. James Owen's treble-seeking Sportingsilvermine and Obsidian Knight, also bidding for a hat-trick of successes, rate the main dangers.
Willie Haggas' ORIONIS can land a first victory in the Boodles Darley EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB/GBBplus Race) (2.05pm). The Sea The Stars filly was sixth on her debut at Wolverhampton last November and third at Wetherby, stepped up to 1m2f, on her return to action last month. With that under her belt the three-year-old can land a first victory on her third start.
CHESTER MAY FESTIVAL 2025 (Day Three)
1.30pm Two Tempting2.05pm Orionis2.35pm The Foxes3.05pm Caballo De Mar (NAP)3.40pm Rathgar4.10pm Reel Rosie4.45pm Tailorman
