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The 2025 Chester Cup (Handicap)

Is Wonder Legend a stone better on the AW or is he a horse whose improvement has simply coincided with stepping up in trip on an artificial surface?

More pertinently, is he running?

If he definitely is SkyBet and the machine (to small money) are out of line.
 
I love the Suffolk, one of my favourite early-season big handicaps whether I find the winner or not because it often throws up future winners. I'll definitely be studying it.

I haven't looked at the Chester Cup yet.
 
I still think Wonder Legend is a knocking bet at the weights if he shows up, but I'm always wary when a horse is available at well over the odds on the machine.
 
I watched Caballo de Mar win at Southwell a week ago and although he set only a steady pace, he stormed well clear in the later stages against decent horses (Manxman 4 length second, Duke of Oxford 3rd). Currently best priced 14/1 he has to be of interest. Likes to race up with the pace always helpful at Chester. Callum Shepherd already jocked up, this rapid improver could be well in.

I will though wait until declarations and draw before I back him.
 
Mr Whatoxo said:
I watched Caballo de Mar win at Southwell a week ago and although he set only a steady pace, he stormed well clear in the later stages against decent horses (Manxman 4 length second, Duke of Oxford 3rd). Currently best priced 14/1 he has to be of interest. Likes to race up with the pace always helpful at Chester. Callum Shepherd already jocked up, this rapid improver could be well in.

I will though wait until declarations and draw before I back him.
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Good luck with him, he's a lot shorter now.

I can't get my head around why Dawn Rising is such a big price, I can only think he's been discounted because of his wide draw. His record in flat handicaps reads, 3/30, 5/30, and 6/24, which tell us while he might need to improve a pound or two, he does run his race in these type of events.

These were proper handicaps aswell, including an Irish and English Cesarewitch. He seems to handle different conditions, and can be ridden in more ways than one, so I'll be hoping his jockey can use a bit of tactical speed to get a decent early position.

I'll have a sporting interest.
 
They've put a preposterous amount of water on The Roodee this week - looks like (on times) half the contents of the adjoining River Dee, in fact, and rather boringly, I feel this plays into the hands of the favourite East India Dock.

He's 4/1 best and I'd have him more like 3/1 (25% chance of winning).

He could get out smartly from his low draw and make all.
 
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I'll take a leap of faith with Morning Air for Venetia Williams. There isn't much to go off with her, and her record doesn't scream anything special, but Venetia has some form for this. Green Book won the plate in 2021 as a 77-rated maiden, and Bellatrixsa won it a year later after she'd had a few runs over hurdles behind her. Joe Fanning + stall 1 is not a negative either.

I'm not expecting much but I'll take the 50/1.
 
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Improving towards the end of last season, East India Dock also took his form to a new level over hurdles and if that improvement can be replicated back on the Flat he should win this. Vaguely Royal was sold out of the Gosden yard at the end of the Flat season and didn’t do much over hurdles but he won a £50k race last spring off 92 on the AW at Lingfield and backed it up with a good run in the £150k race at Newcastle later that month. He was brought back to 1m6f on Turf and ran respectably off marks in the mid-90s so maybe shouldn’t be a 66/1 shot if the first-time cheekpieces work. Zoffee (1st) and Emiyn (2nd) are rated on their form in this race last year. Caballo De Mar is the profile horse in the race, going for a six-timer which started on a rating of 64. This is a big step up but his curve, if anything, appears to be steepening. I presume Ryan Moore has been given a lot of encouragement for Leinster but I can let it go given the balance of where it sits in the table and the price. East India Dock will be the main bet, Caballo De Mar the win saver and I’ll have small bets on the top three.
 
Ian_Davies said:
They've put a preposterous amount of water on The Roodee this week - looks like (on times) half the contents of the adjoining River Dee, in fact, and rather boringly, I feel this plays into the hands of the favourite East India Dock.

He's 4/1 best and I'd have him more like 3/1 (25% chance of winning).

He could get out smartly from his low draw and make all.
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Your favourite Uncle Smart Arse doesn't often consider the Big Handicap jolly to be the value, but when he does....

Once again, the Wolf is kept from the door. 😂
 
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Desert Orchid said:
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Improving towards the end of last season, East India Dock also took his form to a new level over hurdles and if that improvement can be replicated back on the Flat he should win this. Vaguely Royal was sold out of the Gosden yard at the end of the Flat season and didn’t do much over hurdles but he won a £50k race last spring off 92 on the AW at Lingfield and backed it up with a good run in the £150k race at Newcastle later that month. He was brought back to 1m6f on Turf and ran respectably off marks in the mid-90s so maybe shouldn’t be a 66/1 shot if the first-time cheekpieces work. Zoffee (1st) and Emiyn (2nd) are rated on their form in this race last year. Caballo De Mar is the profile horse in the race, going for a six-timer which started on a rating of 64. This is a big step up but his curve, if anything, appears to be steepening. I presume Ryan Moore has been given a lot of encouragement for Leinster but I can let it go given the balance of where it sits in the table and the price. East India Dock will be the main bet, Caballo De Mar the win saver and I’ll have small bets on the top three.
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First, second and third, and 9/2 about the winner. Won’t quite pay for my weekend in Dublin but not far off it.
 
Ian_Davies said:
Your favourite Uncle Smart Arse doesn't often consider the Big Handicap jolly to be the value, but when he does....

Once again the Wolf is kept from the door. 😂
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Well done.

Was a bit of a strange race that. Only 4 ever really in it.

As I watched it, I was hoping Caballo de Mar would go on much earlier to make it more of a test. May not have made a difference and he did run really well anyway.
 
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