Tag Archive for: Zoffee

Zoffee lifts Chester Cup in famous success for Hugo Palmer

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Hugo Palmer’s Zoffee went one better than last year to land the 200th running of Duke Of Westminster Supporting The Chester Cup.

Drawn in stall one, the 9-1 winner – beaten a neck 12 months ago – was able to sit on the rail in the perfect position and former crack apprentice Harry Davies was able to time his challenge to perfection.

For much of the way the well-fancied Andrew Balding pair of Aztec Empire and Grand Providence controlled the pace, with Oisin Murphy looking to steal it on Aztec Empire with two furlongs to run.

But Davies pulled Zoffee out around Emiyn with a furlong to travel and his mount quickened away in good style.

It was a huge result for Palmer who moved from Newmarket to take over at Michael Owen’s Manor House Stables in Cheshire.

Emiyn, who completely missed the break before being rushed up to sit handy, ran a remarkable race in second, beaten three-quarters of a length with Zanndabad third and Aztec Empire fourth.

Having finished third and second in the last two renewals of the week’s showpiece event, Palmer was thrilled to finally land the big one.

He said: “It’s the big race in this part of the world and very exciting. We were second last year and third with Rajinsky the year before so we’ve gone three, two, one in our three years up here.

“He’s given him a wonderful ride. I’ve known Harry a very long time and his mother Angie is my assistant. He’s been with me since he was seven so to win this big race for us is fantastic.

“We kept racing ponies for him when we were in Newmarket and he had to stand on a bucket to tack his horses up. He’s been riding out for us for a very long time, he’s a talented young man and he’s going places.

“I’m just delighted and so pleased the Petersons sent him back after the hurdling didn’t go well. I’m grateful to Olly Murphy and his team, they’ve done all the work over the winter and we’ve only had him back a couple of months.

“We all love this horse and he might not be the highest rated horse in the yard, but he’s just the loveliest face, he loves his job and we just love him.

“It’s been a tough week, character building!”

Harry Davies with Zoffee and Michael Owen
Harry Davies with Zoffee and Michael Owen (Mike Egerton/PA)

Owen said: “It is pretty much a lifelong dream to win that race and he came second last year.

“I said earlier in the week I think we’d win the big one. He always looks the part and he’s a lovely, lovely horse.

“I’m so pleased for the owners and I said to them before the race, ‘I know he’s your horse, but they are all my horses at Manor House’, that is how it feels. Alan (Peterson) has been a great supporter and this horse has always been a yard favourite – he’s just the nicest person in the world.

“He was second last year and now he’s gone and done it.”

Davies said he was confident in the chance of his mount, as he celebrated a welcome big-race winner.

“He’s a really good horse on the Flat and he was 3lb lower than last year which I thought was absolute theft. It’s just great to win this race for the Palmer team and this is the race they come to Chester every year wanting to win,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

Harry Davies with Zoffee and Michael Owen
Harry Davies with Zoffee and Michael Owen (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Hugo is a massive supporter of mine and it’s just great to keep everyone happy.

“It’s hard when you lose your claim, but I’ve been very lucky to keep people who have supported me along the way. I probably have quite a small team and wouldn’t have the most outside rides, but the trainers I do ride for stick by me and I’m really grateful for that.”

He added: “Everyone has come down, they are all local, they all live in Cheshire and it’s the one meeting of the year they all go to. A few of them go to Royal Ascot, but this is definitely the big week of the year for them and for them to see me ride a winner as well, there will probably be a few pictures from today.”



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Zoffee primed for Chester Cup assignment

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Zoffee will bid to go one better than last year for trainer Hugo Palmer in the Duke Of Westminster Supporting The Chester Cup.

The eight-year-old was second to Metier 12 months ago and is 3lb lower this time around as he joins stablemate Solent Gateway in the handicap highlight.

Palmer said: “He’s in the form of his life and I’m much happier going into the race than I was last year.

“It was a struggle to get him ready last year, for whatever reason he didn’t want to come, he didn’t look right and we only just got him there.

“He ran a huge race on ground we didn’t think he would like and he’s definitely better on top of the ground. He gets his ground this time and he’s 3lb lower in the handicap and you would think he has a solid chance.”

Zoffee has been handed the plum draw in stall one, but his handler is cautious about the merits of that position, pointing out the potential pitfalls for jockey Harry Davies.

“I’m a little bit concerned about the draw and he probably will be OK, but in a big-field handicap you have the danger of horses coming back into your lap,” continued Palmer.

“There’s less of a cutaway for Friday and we’ve just got to be mindful of that and for one to be a good draw, the horses in front of you have got to be going forward when you want to be going forward.

“I don’t want to pour cold water on getting the number one draw, but there is a concern and if Harry gets himself forward and finds himself in the first half dozen and one off the rail, then I will much happier than if he is stuck in a pocket.”

Andrew Balding saddled his Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Coltrane to go close two years ago and has assembled a strong three-horse attack on this year’s renewal.

The consistent Grand Providence was the last to sneak into the line-up and races off 8st 6lb in the hands of Hayley Turner, while Aztec Empire also brings smart staying form to the table, with Oisin Murphy in the plate. Spirit Mixer completes the Kingsclere triumvirate.

Ian Williams is another handler to know all about the Chester Cup and Magic Circle’s trainer will rely on Aqwaam, Zealandia and The Grand Visir this time around.

The Shunter was expected to be a leading player for trainer Emmet Mullins but he was declared a non-runner due to the Chester ground, which is now good to firm, good in places.

Joseph O’Brien’s Irish raider Magellan Strait arrives on the back of victory at Dundalk and will have the assistance of William Buick, while Duke Of Oxford has been knocking on the door in staying contests, with his trainer Michael Bell taking plenty of encouragement from his second to Prydwen on All-Weather Championships Finals Day.

He said: “His recent form was franked by the horse that beat him at Newcastle and we’ve had this in mind ever since. He’s had a very good prep heading into the race and we are hopeful of a good run.

“He’s on an attractive mark and certainly deserves to be one of the market leaders.”

Duke Of Oxford is one of the horses burdened with an outside draw. However, Bell is buoyed by some of the recent results in the race and is confident the mount of David Egan can manoeuvre his way into contention.

Bell added: “A horse won from that draw four years ago (Making Miracles) and I’ve watched some replays of the recent Chester Cups and Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori both came from a fair way back on recent winners.

“Obviously you are a hostage to the pace up front if you drop in, but certainly over two and a quarter miles you can overcome it.”

As well as Magellan Strait, both Tony Martin’s Zanndabad and Dermot Weld’s Falcon Eight carry Irish hopes, with the latter running in the two-and-a-quarter-mile handicap for the fourth straight year having won in the hands of Frankie Dettori in 2021.

Kevin Ryan’s Forza Orza is 3lb higher than when landing a valuable handicap at last year’s Ebor meeting and is one of two in the race for Yorkshire trainers alongside Declan Carroll’s course specialist Emiyn, who seeks to better his seventh in the race in 2023.

“He’s won there a couple of times and he ran well in the race there last year,” said Carroll.

“He seems to be a better horse around there and I think the atmosphere lights him up. He seems to show his best form there for sure.

“He’s in good form and we’ve always had this race in mind as his main race for this part of the season. Seven is not a bad draw for him and he likes to go forward and he’s in good form and will give a good account of himself I’m sure.”

Ed Dunlop’s Citizen General and James Owen’s Too Friendly complete a reduced field of 16.



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Palmer planning dual assault on Northumberland Plate

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Zoffee and Rajinsky are set to give trainer Hugo Palmer a strong hand in Saturday’s Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

Both horses bring strong course form to the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’, with Rajinsky finishing third and fourth in the last two renewals and Zoffee winning last year’s Northumberland Vase – the consolation race for the Plate – on his only previous visit to Gosforth Park.

Rajinsky made a flying start to his campaign by inflicting a shock defeat on star stayer Trueshan in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham. He was well beaten in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot next time, but bounced back to finish a close-up fifth in last month’s Chester Cup.

Rajinsky (orange) sees off Trueshan at Nottingham
Rajinsky (orange) sees off Trueshan at Nottingham (Joe Giddens/PA)

The admirable Zoffee filled the runner-up spot on the Roodee, going down by just a neck to Metier, and ran another fine race in defeat when sixth in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting last week.

“At this stage the plan is to run both horses,” Palmer confirmed.

“Poor old Rajinsky doesn’t get much luck with the ground in the British summers we get these days, but he ran a great race at Chester and ran a great race in the Northumberland Plate last year.

“It’s a valuable race and he goes on the surface so fingers crossed, but he does have a lot of weight.”

He added: “Zoffee appears to go on any ground and I thought he ran a really great race at Ascot, coming from far too far back from an awkward draw.

“We had runners every day at Ascot so I didn’t see him canter again until this morning (Monday), but he’s full of his usual enthusiasm and Charlotte Kerry, who rides him every day, says he feels fantastic.

“I guess we won’t really know until there’s a furlong to run on Saturday, but he’s certainly in good nick.”

Palmer’s pair were among 48 horses left in the Northumberland Plate Monday’s confirmation stage, with Rajinsky joined at the head of the weights by the William Haggas-trained Roberto Escobarr.

William Haggas has three contenders for the Northumberland Plate
William Haggas has three contenders for the Northumberland Plate (Nigel French/PA)

Haggas is also responsible for the well-fancied Post Impressionist, as well as Nathanael Greene.

Other leading hopes include Michael Bell’s recent Newmarket scorer Adjuvant and Golden Rules, who won on his first start for Deborah Faulkner at Kempton after being bought out of John and Thady Gosden’s yard for just 6,000 guineas.

Omniscient (Sir Mark Prescott), Law Of The Sea (Ian Williams) and All-Weather Marathon winner Rainbow Dreamer (Alan King) also feature.



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