188Bet Chester Cup Odds and Preview – Horse Racing Betting May 10

Who Dares Wins in Chester Cup plunge

Horse Racing Betting

Stayers who have been thriving over hurdles have an excellent record when it comes to the 188Bet Chester Cup.

David Pipe won it in 2010 with Mamlook and local trainer Donald McCain won the race, staged over a marathon 2m2f trip around the Roodee, with jumpers Overturn in 2011 and Il De Re in 2012. Nicky Henderson sent out No Heretic to land the spoils last year and another leading National Hunt trainer, Alan King, may hold the key this time with WHO DARES WINS (8/1 with several bookmakers including Ladbrokes).

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Chester Cup History and Trends

Chester racecourse, known as the Roodee, is according to official records the oldest racecourse still in use in England. Horse racing at Chester dates back to the early sixteenth century and it is also the shortest track, in circumference, in the UK, measuring only 1m1f from winning post to winning post. Built in a natural amphitheatre adjacent to the River Dee and framed by the city’s ancient walls, it rarely suits long-striding, galloping types and it can be a huge disadvantage to be drawn wide, even in long-distance races like the Chester Cup.

The original race, run on Shrove Tuesday for a silver bell given by the Saddlers’ company, was devised by Mayor Henry Gee as an element in his reformed civic celebrations. It was evidently run only intermittently in the 17th century but was still taking place in 1705. Grosvenors continued to provide prizes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Race week was moved to the first full week in May after the calendar reform in 1752, allegedly because the mayor (a draper) hoped to sell more summer dresses in warmer weather. (The programme of racing grew steadily in the later 18th century, a fourth day being added in 1751 and a fifth in 1758, testimony to Chester’s popularity among racegoers. It’s now settled on three days but is still a massive social draw, especially among Merseysiders and the nouveau riche of the Cheshire set.

This is not your average stayers’ handicap. It is worth £120,000 for a start and that attracts a high-class field of potentially well-handicapped horses. But Chester’s super-tight configuration meaning the runners are almost constantly turning and, therefore, those travelling wide are running considerably further, so being able to prominently is a huge advantage. Six of the last 10 winners have been drawn in stall five or lower – only two horses in the same period have managed to win when drawn in stall 12 or higher.

Who Dares Wins appears to have everything in his favour in stall seven. In addition, he’s been running well in top company over hurdles, finishing third in the Coral Cup in Cheltenham in March. He won a Listed handicap at Newbury in November but certainly wasn’t over-raced in the jumps season just ended. Successful over 1m4f at Chester last summer on good going, he will have no excuses as long as he breaks quickly enough from the gate to be close to the pace and his trainer is no stranger to winning big staying handicaps on the Flat.

Such is the traditionally open nature of this race that this year’s market leaders are currently available at 7/1. Blakeney Point got the last available spot courtesy of making a winning reappearance at Kempton. He’s also got the plum draw (stall one) so shouldn’t be far away and you can also understand why Sir Mark Prescott’s Sea Of Heaven has been backed, but last year’s Cesarewitch third has been less fortunate with the draw (stall 14). Yorkidding may be best of the rest at a best 14/1 with the sponsors.

Chester Cup Current Best Odds

Sea Of Heaven and Blakeney Point (7/1), Golden Spear and Who Dares Wins (8/1), Nakeeta and Watersmeet (10/1), The Cashel Man and Yorkidding (14/1), Magic Circle and Montaly (16/1), First Mohican, Fun Mac and Sir Chauvelin (20/1), Suegioo and Angel Gabrial (25/1), Duke Of Clarence (40/1), Good Tradition (50/1)