09-05-2025
Chester May Festival 2025: The Foxes wins the Huxley Stakes
The Foxes (13-8 favourite) got back to winning ways with victory in the Group Two IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes on final day of the Boodles Chester May Festival.
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 didn't quitet gone on from that promising Classic year, although 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. Having been second to Rebel's Romance in the Amir Trophy at Al Uqda in February back in Britain The Foxes returned to winning ways and could be aimed at either next month's Royal Ascot and/or the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
Under Oisin Murphy, The Foxes was sat in third place on the rail behind the pace set by Bolster. And on the turn for home when Cairo (40-1) challenged the leader, Murphy brought The Foxes to the outside and quickly joined Cairo in the lead. He galloped on well to eventually score by a length-and-three-quarters from Cairo with Liberty Lane (5-1) the same distance back in third.
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Paddy Power cut The Foxes to 16-1 from 25-1 for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting, while he is 66-1 with the same firm for the Eclipse.
Winning jockey Murphy told Sky Sports Racing: "He was superbly prepared by everyone at home as it wasn't completely smooth sailing from Doha to here and Andrew is going to be delighted with that. He was push button and one of the easiest rides you will have round here. It's all down to the work at home and he wasn't always that easy to ride or have that gate speed, but it has come together over the last few starts and that was a joy to be a part of.
"Andrew was happy for me to do whatever and it is important to have big winners for owners King Power Racing, they invest a lot into the sport and it's great to ride for them and have winners for them. Andrew will have a think about what he could run in at Royal Ascot and we also had a Group Two winner the other day in Bellum Justum and they kind of fit in the same category. They are both 10-or 12 furlong horses and one is four and one is five, so Andrew will have a think."
The trainer's wife Anna Lisa Balding added: "We're absolutely delighted and you need a lot of luck as you always do round Chester. He had a good draw but we needed a good pilot and Oisin did a brilliant job. The horse has been in brilliant form at home and Maddy, one of our assistants, rides him every day, she loves him and has done a super job with him. He picked up half a million pounds for going to Qatar and finishing second and he's a very bonny horse who loves his job and really deserved that today."
Course and distance winner Two Tempting (9-4 favourite) scored again on the Roodee in the opener, the CAA Stellar Earl Grosvenor Handicap. Jonathan Portman's six-year-old won over course and distance and having been fourth at Newbury last month, he returned to winning ways back at Chester. Two Tempting, under Rob Hornby, jumped well from the plum draw in stall one and sat just off the pace set by Partisan Hero (12-1). After the turn for home, Hornby moved Two Tempting up to challenge the leader and he smoothly went to the front and went on to scored by three-quarters-of-a-length from Partisan Hero with Kindest Nation (33-1) a further three lengths back in third with Cracking Gold (20-1) another half-a-length adrift in fourth.
Al Wasl Storm (9-1) led from start to finish to win the Boodles Darley EBF Maiden Stakes and potentially book a trip to next month's Betfred Derby at Epsom. The Owen Burrows-trained three-year-old was landing a first success in three starts, having been second at Lingfield last month. Al Wasl Storm broke out well under David Probert and dictated the extended 1m4f contest. He made all the running and beat Willie Haggas' Orinios, who has been second all the way under Tom Marquand, by a length-and-a-quarter with Ammes a neck back in third. The well-backed 11-10 favourite The Pouncing Lion disappointed and came home last of the six runners.
