Zoffee and Harry Davies win the Chester Cup

Similar Chester Cup prep for Hugo Palmer's returning hero Zoffee

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed April 23, 2025 · 8M ago

Hugo Palmer is preparing Zoffee to defend his crown in next month’s Ladbrokes Chester Cup.

The gelding, who is now nine, won the £170,000 race last year for local trainer Palmer, who is based at Michael Owen’s Manor House Stables.

The Boodles May Festival is an important fixture for the Palmer and Owen combination and Zoffee’s win in the race 12 months ago provided a memorable moment for the team.

Palmer said: "We don't have runners unfortunately for the Classic Trials but I would expect that we will be represented in pretty much every other race over the course of the three days.

"Zoffee obviously will be the highlight, the Ladbrokes Chester Cup being the main race of the week. He is of course the defending winner and he is training really well. He will go for a racecourse gallop at Southwell later this week, in the same way that he did last year.

"He is a year older and 1lb higher than he was last year but he is still lower than when he was beaten a short head in the race in 2023 and I am really pleased with how the prep is going."

Reflecting on the win in the event last year, Palmer said “Last year we felt that Zoffee was our best chance of the week and we have some agonisingly close shaves, short head seconds etc, so it was just perfect when Zoffee won on the last day. I’d say it was likely that Joe Leavy will ride him this year, as long as Joe doesn't lose his 3lb claim."

East India Dock is the current 6/1 market leader with the sponsors for the staying contest on May 9.

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