Zoffee returns to the Roodee for the Chester Cup of 2025 seeking a successful defence of the valuable Heritage Handicap for Flat stayers on Friday, 9 May. Hugo Palmer’s veteran, now a nine-year-old, is the elder statesman in the line-up and tries to retain his crown first time out.
A lack of recent run didn’t stop Zoffee from prevailing 12 months ago. He returns to Chester from a considerably longer layoff of 222 days, instead of just 69 last season. Most of the field heading to the big handicap on the final day of the May Festival with a race under their belt this calendar year, though.
Palmer books 3lb claimer Joe Leavy for the ride on Zoffee this time. Taking that into account, it effectively puts him 2lb lower than when successful. At the head of the market with horse racing betting sites, however, are a quintet of four-year-olds with far fewer miles on the clock than Zoffee.
They include a couple sent over hurdles in East India Dock, one of three in the Chester Cup of 2025 for James Owen, and Hot Fuss representing erstwhile local trainer Tom Dascombe. His yard is now in Lambourn and Haydock apart, the Roodee is where most of his winners have come.
Jumps races in which the likes of East India Dock, stable companion Liam Swagger and Hot Fuss placed in at Cheltenham, the Triumph Hurdle and Fred Winter respectively, tend to be won by staying types. That augurs well for them in this extended two-and-a-quarter-mile test around one of the tightest tracks in the British Isles.
Chester Cup 2025 Draw Favours Last Year’s 1-2 & Leinster
Zoffee again has a low draw in stall 4 seen as essential to have any real hope of running well here. That went against re-opposing runner-up Emiyn last year who jumped from gate 7, but now breaks from inside his old rival in gate 2. Declan Carroll’s gelding is no spring chicken himself aged eight.
Emiyn is effectively off the same rating as 12 months ago. Although dropped 2lb by the handicapper since then, claiming rider Zak Wheatley is down to 3lb from 5lb. The reality is both Zoffee and Emiyn look vulnerable to lots of younger legs and untapped potential.
Joseph O’Brien sends the very lightly-raced four-year-old Leinster over from Ireland after making all over a mile-and-a-half at the Curragh. He could be anything with just four career starts under his belt and the eye-catching jockey booking of Ryan Moore, who rides the Roodee so well, suggests connections are having a real go at the Chester Cup in 2025 with him.
Leinster also jumps from a low numbered gate in stall 5. Stable companion Dawn Rising, a standing dish in long-distance races on the Flat, has a harder time of things from gate 15 for powerful owner JP McManus.
Andrew Balding runs two with Who’s Glen the mount of Oisin Murphy after a wide-margin heavy ground romp over an extended mile-and-three-quarters here in September. This four-year-old Gleneagles gelding hasn’t raced much on turf with good ground an unknown quantity.
Roodee regular Spirit Mixer is the other Balding runner, meanwhile. Now a seven-year-old, he landed two of his three starts here last season including the Watergate Cup over two miles. Both Spirit Mixer and Who’s Glen jump from middle to high draws.
Prolific Caballo De Mar Also a Contender
East India Dock has the best of the draw from Owen’s trio, meanwhile. He jumps from stall six, while Charging Thunder and Liam Swagger start widest of all in 16 and 17. Harry Davies rides the favourite with Saffie Osborne booked for Liam Swagger and David Probert riding Charging Thunder.
It’s back to back wins in the feature for @CallumSheppy and @GScottracing!
Caballo De Mar takes them all the way and quickens up stylishly to score by a distance at @Southwell_Races! pic.twitter.com/TKpHcbdhPV
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 27, 2025
George Scott switches four-time All-Weather winner Caballo De Mar back to the turf seeking a sixth consecutive win. Improving more than two stone (29lb) all over staying trips since success at Ayr in September, the four-year-old by Phoenix Of Spain still doesn’t appear to have reached his ceiling.
Caballo De Mar has a middle draw in stall 8 and regular rider Callum Shepherd in the saddle. Divine Comedy, meanwhile, drops into handicap company in the Chester Cup of 2025 after running in Listed and Group races. Harry Eustace’s seven-year-old mare runs again just nine days after her Sagaro Stakes third on Royal Ascot Trials Day.
Kaiya Fraser is back in the saddle and takes 3lb off with her claim. Divine Comedy has stall 7 here, which isn’t the worst of the draw by any means. Like Spirit Mixer, Duke Of Oxford finished down the field in last year’s race. Michael Bell’s five-year-old is a dual winner of the London Stayers’ Series Final around Kempton.
The Roodee is a similar track in terms of being tight, but Duke Of Oxford is 5lb higher in the weights than 12 months ago and again has a wide draw. Tom Marquand taking over in the saddle is interesting, though.
It’s big prices bar those horses with Ivan Furtado’s Irish import Chemistry framing the handicap off topweight. Punters will look carefully at the horses drawn low with good reason.
Chester Cup 2025 Shortlist & Verdict
Although East India Dock ran really well in defeat in the Triumph and the form has been franked since, worries about the stable form brings others into consideration. LEINSTER is totally unexposed, while it’d be no surprise if Hot Fuss reversed Fred Winter placings with Liam Swagger.
Caballo De Mar just keeps on improving and isn’t done yet. The 2024 first and second Zoffee and Emiyn are well-treated, but another year older. Spirit Mixer could also have a say with Who’s Glen yet to prove he handles a sounder surface on turf.
