09-05-2025
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.
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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.
