Our man at the track Ben Linfoot reflects on Chester Cup day as James Owen's East India Dock lands a gamble in the feature.
Chester Cup day. It’s hot for the time of year. The sky looks even more blue, the grass even more green and the walls even more Roman pink.
An acoustic version of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ blares from the P.A. Spirits are high, but nothing can drown out the roar from punters who have one over the bookies following the 201st running of the Ladbrokes Chester Cup.
For James Owen and the Gredleys have just landed a right touch in the feature, with the very well-backed 9/4 favourite East India Dock.
Let’s start with the owners.
The Gredley Family, racing obsessed thanks to Bill, owner of User Friendly who won the Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and St Leger in the summer of ’92.
Owner-breeders with one foot in the jumps and one foot in the Flat, from Cheltenham to Chester, those yellow silks with black-striped sleeves and white cap now synonymous with good, young, horses - and in both codes.
Their East India Dock crosses the divide. He’s very good in both spheres – good enough to be sent off the 5/4 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was third, good enough to be sent off the 9/4 favourite for the Chester Cup seven weeks down the line, where he was very much first home.
9/4! In a race where 15 horses did battle round two circuits of the tightest track in the country. You have to have some confidence to send off a horse that short for a race like this.
Tim Gredley dances about the winners’ enclosure like a man who has won the lottery. Last year the same connections had Too Friendly backed into 9/2 from 20/1 for the Chester Cup and he finished 10th. I wonder. Was this a case of getting that money back?
“No, no, not at all, it wasn’t my money, I don’t bet,” says a grinning Gredley. “Owning racehorses is enough of a gamble, it wasn’t any of mine!
“This is a very good horse. I wouldn’t want to compare him to Too Friendly who was a lovely horse, but we learnt a lot from last year with James.
“With his pedigree and after what he did over hurdles he looked very well handicapped on the Flat, so we thought we’d give it a go.
“It’s unbelievable. He’s a homebred. It’s been an amazing ride. It means a lot more when you breed them.”
