East India Dock setting sail for Chester Cup mission

James Owen has confirmed star juvenile hurdler East India Dock on course for a return to the Flat in next month’s Ladbrokes Chester Cup.

Having rounded off an excellent first season over obstacles with a close-up third in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, East India Dock will switch codes for Chester’s £170,000 feature on May 9, with Newmarket-based Owen excited about his chances on the Roodee.

He said: “We are keen to go to Chester with East India Dock. If he gets in, I’m sure we’ll be coming.

“He’s rated 89, which would have got him into the main race in any of the last three years, and I think he’s well handicapped on his hurdles form.

“I think Chester will suit him. He’s not ground dependent, he’ll stay the trip, he races economically, and on his hurdles form he’s well handicapped on the Flat.

“We bypassed Aintree so that he could have a short little freshen up for the Flat, and I think there are a lot of pluses.”

East India Dock may not be Owen’s only Chester Cup representative, with Fred Winter third Liam Swagger also in contention along with Cavern Club, a hurdle winner at Doncaster last month, and Charging Thunder, who has won four of his five races since joining the stable.

“Liam Swagger is an intended runner too. He’s currently rated 83, but we’d like to get in the main event if we can and so he’ll go to Chelmsford in the meantime to try to pick up a penalty,” Owen added.

“Charging Thunder likes going left-handed and won well at Southwell last time. He’s rated 90 and will be suited by a race of this nature. Cavern Club is headed for the consolation race probably off his rating of 81.”

The 73 entries for the 201st Chester Cup also include last year’s winner Zoffee, representing locally-based trainer Hugo Palmer, and the 2023 winner Metier.

There are also six entries from Ireland, including Aidan O’Brien’s London City and Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf, who was a good Flat winner at Newmarket last year and finished second as favourite for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival last month.