The Prestigious Marathon Flat Contest

The curtain falls on the 2024 Chester Races Might Pageant this Friday, with the function occasion of the week happening, the Chester Cup over 2 miles 2 furlongs plus. The celebrated stamina-sapping marathon flat contest is celebrating its 2 hundredth anniversary this yr. It’s been one other Pageant of highs and lows. Our ideas once more exit to the connections of Hidden Legislation, who sadly misplaced his life following his emphatic victory in Wednesday’s Chester Vase. He seemed a cultured colt within the making and it’s all the time heartbreaking when any thoroughbred leaves us too quickly.

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Historical past Of The Chester Cup

Chester is legendary worldwide as being the oldest horse racing monitor on the globe nonetheless in existence. The racecourse was first established in 1539, through the reign of Henry VIII. His affection for the females of the species could have been fickle, however his love for all issues equine by no means dimmed. The racecourse would develop into generally often known as ‘The Roodee’ by racegoers, as a result of stone cross that was cast on one of many mounds within the centre of the monitor. ‘Roodee’ is a corruption of ‘Rood Eye’ which is a combination of historic Norse and Saxon that means ‘Island of the Cross’.

Chester is a tremendous venue for history-loving racegoers with the traditional metropolis partitions, which date again to Roman occasions, bordering the japanese a part of the racecourse. Racing could be seen at no cost from this walled location. The blue riband occasion of the present-day Might Pageant, the Chester Cup, was first run in 1824 (when it was often known as the Tradesmen’s Cup) and was gained by Doge of Venice. It might develop into formally often known as the Chester Cup from 1884, the yr Havock was victorious, and has been often known as such ever since.

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Multi-Successful Chester Cup Stars

9 horses have gained the Chester Cup on two events, however solely 4 have since 1978. The well-known Sea Pigeon would clinch back-to-back successes on the Roodee in 1977 and 1978. There have been those that thought Sea Pigeon had Classics potential initially of his 3-year-old marketing campaign in 1973, however he would solely end seventh within the Epsom Derby and was gelded earlier than being despatched to Nationwide Hunt coach Gordon Richards. His Nationwide Hunt kind steadily picked up and would enhance even additional as soon as he was taken below Peter Easterby’s coaching wing in 1976.

In 1977, Sea Pigeon gained the Scottish Champion Hurdle, earlier than switching codes to clinch the primary of this two wins within the Chester Cup. The then 8-year-old adopted up once more on the Roodee through the 1978 Might Pageant. Nonetheless, Sea Pigeon’s most memorable race victories would come over the jumps later in his profession. In profitable his second Champion Hurdle in 1981, he turned the joint-oldest winner of the occasion ever.

Prime Cees Guidelines On The Roodee

It was nearly one other 20 years till we had one other twin winner of the Chester Cup. The Ramsden’s Prime Cees, who would hit the headlines for all of the fallacious causes, later in his profession, due to a libel case surrounding one in all his performances, would make them for the suitable causes on the Roodee in 1995. The then Alan Leonard-owned 5-year-old, who solely had two wins to his identify (a kind of a hurdles occasion at Wetherby) romped to a 5-length victory within the Chester Cup. It might be Kieren Fallon’s solely win within the race.

Prime Cees returned to the Roodee for the 1997 renewal. This time within the well-known Sangster colors, he would end like a rocket, scooting clear within the arms of Jimmy Fortune, to document a 10-length success. He would even be within the Chester Cup line-ups in each 1998 and 2000, with out making an impression. Sadly he broke down through the working of the latter occasion and it might be his closing racecourse look. Amazingly, he lived on til 2021 and the ripe previous age of 31.

Rainbow Excessive Hits The Heights

Only a yr after Prime Cees’ closing racecourse look, the superbly bred Rainbow Excessive clinched his second Chester Cup victory within the 2001 renewal. The son of Rainbow Quest and the grandson of Dancing Courageous had gained his first Chester Cup two years earlier in 1999. Rainbow Excessive nearly turned the primary ever horse to profitable the celebrated Might Pageant contest on three events in 2002. Nonetheless, he simply missed out on glory, having to accept second behind Fantasy Hill. Rainbow Excessive’s coach Barry Hills would develop into essentially the most honoured handler in Chester Cup historical past in 2009. Daraahem claiming a fourth win within the marathon occasion for the Lambourn coach.

Chester Goes Nuts For Anak Pekan

The final twin winner of the Chester Cup was Michael Jarvis’ Anak Pekan. He accomplished a double success in 2004 and 2005. Anak Pekan is the one different horse apart from Sea Pigeon to defend his Chester Cup crown and go back-to-back. The son of In The Wings produced a shocking show when profitable his first Chester Cup in 2004 by 5 lengths. He was the two/1 favorite that day, the shortest priced victor of the occasion within the fashionable period.

Whereas he didn’t stroll to success when regaining his title twelve months later, it was nonetheless a extremely spectacular achievement, having been off the monitor for 200 days previous to that win. The one earlier winner within the line-up this yr is the 2021 winner, Falcon Eight. Dermot Weld’s 9-year-old completed fifth in 2022 and fifteenth of 16 final yr. He’ll be trying to create historical past by profitable two Chester Cups over a 4-year time span.

Chester Cup – The Important Stats & Traits

The Chester Cup hasn’t been an excellent race for favorite backers. The final jolly to enter the winner’s enclosure on the Roodee was David Pipe’s Mamlook in 2010 and there have solely been 4 victorious market leaders since 1990. Nonetheless, 10 of the final 14 winners had been priced 10/1 or decrease, so horses which weren’t unfancied. Older horses have struggled to make an impression, with solely two horses aged over 7 (No Heretic in 2016 & Morgans Selection in 1985) profitable within the final 40+ years. Each of these winners had been additionally solely aged 8. The Official Ranking appears to be like to be a powerful development to observe with no winner rated decrease than 93 since Tim Pitt’s Admiral gained in 2006. Weight-wise, solely two horse have carried lower than 9 stone to victory within the final 10 years and none have since No Heretic in 2016.

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Chester Cup – One To Watch

Placing all of the above within the mixing pot and Magellan Strait appears to be like to have an excellent shout. The slight concern with Joseph O’Brien’s 5-year-old is that his earlier run was on the All-Climate at Dundalk in January. Earlier runners coming to Chester following AW run-outs haven’t fared so properly. The shock 150/1 winner of the Irish Cesarewitch on the Curragh final September is making his British debut. He may have the two-time champion jockey, William Buick, on board.

Click on right here for the newest Chester Cup costs

The Chester Cup is due off at 15:40 this Friday. It’s one in all 5 dwell races being screened on ITV4 from 13:30 onwards. All Chester day 3 races are being proven dwell on Sky Sports activities Racing.

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