Horse-by-horse guide: Ladbrokes Chester Cup

As a big handicap run on a track that is often known for hard luck stories, it is perhaps a little surprising how friendly results of Friday's Ladbrokes Chester Cup have been to punters in recent years. The starting prices of the last five winners were 15-2, 6-1, 5-1, 9-1 and 9-4, with East India Dock landing the race as favourite a year ago. That is not to say it isn’t a difficult race though and my own record in it certainly doesn’t read well.

In terms of profile, looking at the last ten years, seven of the last ten were aged six years or younger. Nine of the last ten had run over at least two miles previously, so that is quite important. In terms of weight, eight out of the last ten carried 9st 3lbs or less.

The ground is currently good at Chester after a couple of dry days. However, there is a chance of rain on Thursday and Friday, but at the moment I’m working off the assumption that it will be good ground on Friday afternoon. Below, I’ve looked at each runner individually in the hope of unearthing the winner.

1. AIMERIC (Draw 13)

Jockey: Darragh Keenan | Trainer: J Candlish

107 is a fair ask in a competitive handicap like this and coupled with that Aimeric is untested beyond 1m 6f. They are the negatives for him, but he clearly has the rating for a reason, and he was only beaten a head off this mark at Musselburgh last April over the aforementioned distance. I’d be surprised if there aren’t a few in here better treated though.

2. A PIECE OF HEAVEN (1)

Dylan Browne McMonagle | J P O'Brien

The first of Joseph O'Brien’s contingent, he is well treated on his old form as he runs off just 1lb higher than when second in the Irish Cesarewtich in September 2024. He only ran once last season and while he hasn’t quite shown the same form this year, there were positive signs in his latest effort on ground that was probably softer than ideal.

3. MAXI KING (8)

Toby Moore (7) | K P De Foy

Maxi King would be something of a stat buster given that he hasn’t raced beyond the extended 1m 6f in his career to date. In that contest at Doncaster last September, he didn’t appear to be a horse that definitely wanted further and I would have stamina reservations about him here. He lacks a recent run too, but his form figures off a break of over 100 days read 3113 so that isn’t as much of a concern.

4. TASHKHAN (11)

Ben Robinson | B Ellison

Brian Ellison’s gelding is far more interesting than his odds suggest here, especially if some rain arrived on the Roodee. He has run twice here, winning over course and distance off a mark of 105 in September 2023 and returned a year later over the bare two miles to finish a good third off 108. A mark of 98 would look appealing on that form, although both of those efforts were on soft ground.

5. SPIRIT MIXER (10)

Rob Hornby | A M Balding

The eight-year-old has an excellent strike rate here of four wins from seven starts. I gave him a chance in this race last year, but he could only manage seventh off 6lbs lower than his current mark of 96. He did win here off 93 in September which was a career best, but it is hard to fancy him winning here off this mark, although he could run well. His winning form has all been at two miles.

6. BERKSHIRE SUNDANCE (15)

Oisin Murphy | A M Balding

A progressive animal in 2024 and 2025 winning five out of nine starts, with an unseat after rearing leaving the stalls accounting for one of those defeats. He carried on where he left off with a winning return to action at Kempton last month. That was a dominant display, but this is by far his biggest test yet.

7. DURAJI (16)

Finley Marsh | R Hughes

Duraji is having his first run for Richard Hughes having left Dermot Weld. He is relatively lightly raced, but he doesn’t have too many lines of form that would make him appealing here. However, his fourth at Goodwood last season off 3lbs higher is the exception. He wouldn’t be on my shortlist, personally.

8. GALILEO DAME (6)

R L Moore | J P O'Brien

Another trained by Joseph, this mare sits near the top of the market at the time of writing. Having been running over jumps during the winter, she warmed up for this with a good second back on the flat at the end of March. That 1m 6f race was the furthest she has raced over on the flat, and her best form has come on softer ground. While she is clearly in top hands, I would prefer others at the prices.

9. MOON OVER MIAMI (11)

H Crouch | R M Beckett

A winner of his first three starts on turf, he lost his unbeaten record last time on his seasonal return after a break of almost a year. He went too hard on that occasion and probably needed it following a lengthy absence. If he can return to the form he showed previously, he is unexposed over staying trips. On his only previous start at two miles, he won at Newbury off 90 with plenty of subsequent winners in behind. 

10. PUTURHANDSTOGETHER (17)

Billy Loughnane | J P O'Brien

An excellent dual-purpose performer over the last couple of years, he has been no stranger to big handicap success in either code. His first attempt at a staying handicap on the flat saw him land a gamble in the Irish Cesarewitch last September off 82. He has raced exclusively over hurdles since without success and a 10lbs higher mark makes this a more difficult task.

11. ZANNDABAD (9)

C Lee | A J Martin

Another coming off a hurdles campaign, but he had a fruitful one, winning twice. That suggests this seven-year-old may have improved since he was last seen in this discipline. He was third in this race two years ago off a 1lb higher mark and plenty points to him running well here. A winless record on the flat in Britain and Ireland is a slight negative though.

12. TEAM PLAYER (12)

Greg Fairley | Ewan Whillans

Team Player is lightly raced over staying distances as he hadn’t run beyond 1m 5f until this year. He has won both starts this year over the extended two miles and then 1m 6f last time. A 9lbs rise for the latest of those could be enough to halt his progress here, even though it was an authoritative success.

13. CHEMISTRY (3)

David Probert | J Candlish

Chemistry progressed as his stamina was drawn out for Aidan O’Brien in his three-year-old campaign, highlighted by an excellent second on Irish Champions Weekend in the 1m 3f Petingo handicap at Leopardstown off a mark of 100. He hasn’t looked the same horse since and Jennie Candlish will need to reinvigorate him. Well treated on his old form but a leap of faith required as to whether he retains that ability.

14. LIPS FREEDOM (5)

Ashley Lewis (5) | A Kinirons

This Free Eagle gelding is yet to race beyond a mile-and-a-half on the flat but has at least run over further in a hurdles race. His level over hurdles is much lower comparatively though, and I don’t see much from his flat runs in Ireland (I won’t comment on his German form) that would give him a chance in a race like this.

15. ALPHONSE LE GRANDE (14)

Jamie Powell | A J Martin

Announced himself in staying handicaps with an easy win here in the Plate in 2024. That was off 73, but he won the Northumberland Vase at Newcastle on his next start off 81 and was controversially first past the post in the Cesarewitch that October from 6lbs higher. He had a couple of decent efforts off a 3lbs higher mark than this last summer, especially at York when he caught the eye in a good race.

16. BLINDEDBYTHELIGHTS (4)

L Morris | Sir Mark Prescott

A typical Sir Mark Prescott project, he won two of this first three starts in handicaps and followed those with a couple of near misses for a cumulative rise of 21lbs in the ratings from his opening mark of 62. A step up in trip has helped eek out further improvement in recent starts without winning. A mark of 88 makes life more difficult now but his form has worked out, and he looks rock solid to run his race in first-time blinkers.

17. PEAKY BLINDER (2)

Jason Watson | A M Balding

He is seriously unexposed after just six career starts and on an upward curve having won his last two on the bounce. The latest of those at Southwell was his first attempt at two miles and he saw that out well enough to suggest the extra two furlongs will be no problem to him. This is a much better race, but he is clearly open to further improvement.