East India Dock camp eager to exploit Flat mark

East India Dock will attempt to go from Triumph Hurdle contender to Ladbrokes Chester Cup champion on Friday, with jockey Harry Davies having the chance to register back-to-back victories in the prestigious £170,000 handicap.

James Owen’s four-year-old was sent off favourite for top juvenile honours at the Cheltenham Festival when finishing third in a thrilling finish behind Poniros and Lulamba and now reverts to the level with connections seeking to take advantage of what they feel is an unexposed Flat rating.

Owen – who also saddles Charging Thunder – said: “He was progressive on the Flat, albeit on galloping tracks, and this is the first time he will run on a tight track. I do think he is a better hurdler than he was on the Flat – he quickly came alive over hurdles – but he could be pretty well handicapped and it looks like he will stay the trip.

“There’s probably not many who have gone from third in a Triumph Hurdle to the Chester Cup but we’re hoping he’s well handicapped. He’s got a good level of fitness from hurdling and hopefully he will run really well.”

Davies was in the saddle aboard Zoffee when victorious 12 months ago, igniting jubilant scenes for trainer Hugo Palmer and his landlord Michael Owen at a meeting he holds dear.

Apprentice Joe Leavy takes over on the defending champion this year and Palmer is hopeful he can thrive early in the campaign once again.

“He’s all set to defend his title and I’m very, very happy with him,” said Palmer.

“We took him to Southwell and he worked very well a few weeks ago. It’s nice when they go that far for the first time since last year to have had them on a racecourse, I always think, and we know he goes well fresh.

“The last couple of years his best run of the season has been his first run, so fingers crossed it’s the same case again.”

No horse heads into the race in better shape than George Scott’s Caballo De Mar, who arrives at the Roodee on a five-race winning streak.

He easily accounted for a useful cast including Cesarewitch runner-up Manxman (second) and Michael Bell’s reopposing Duke Of Oxford (third) at Southwell recently and is backed to continue his fine form.

“We are delighted to get in and it was touch and go, but we ended up getting in comfortably, which was a bit of a surprise,” explained Scott.

“He obviously went up 8lb on Tuesday so is effectively 5lb well in, so he has to take his chance. His recent form is on the all-weather, but that is mainly due to how the races have been falling for him, rather than trying to keep him off grass.

“He has gone well tightish left-handed at Southwell, so hopefully the track won’t be a problem. The music is going to stop at some point but he looks progressive and everyone can see that.

“It’s not very often you get a horse like this into the Chester Cup off this rating, so we feel very lucky. The horse is training well and it’s nice to take our chance with a progressive horse.”

Joseph O’Brien is double-handed with Curragh scorer Leinster and Dawn Rising, while Andrew Balding will also saddle two – Queen’s Prize runner-up Who’s Glen and Spirit Mixer.

Balding said: “Who’s Glen ran a very good race in the Queen’s Prize and he’s a course winner, although in very different conditions to those we are likely to see here. I can’t see why he wouldn’t be effective on fast ground, but it’s a question mark the first time he tries it.”

Meanwhile, Tom Dascombe is confident Hot Fuss can make his mark providing conditions do not prove too quick for his Cheltenham Festival fourth.

He said: “He’s drawn three and that is perfect. If the ground is good we will run him, but if it’s really quick we might not, but if he runs I think he will run really well. He wouldn’t want too much firm in the description of the going though.”

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