Confirmed runners and riders for the Chester Cup as a favourable draw sees one runner's price 'almost slashed in half'

East India Dock heads a maximum field of 17 for the Ladbrokes Chester Cup (3.05) on Friday, the feature race on the final day of the May meeting.

Trained by James Owen, the four-year-old will make his first start on the Flat since finishing fourth at Doncaster in September. After winning two times in this sphere last year, he was switched to a hurdling campaign, where he won two Grade 2s and finished a length third in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Owen is also responsible for Charging Thunder and Liam Swagger, who finished third in a maiden at this fixture 12 months ago, with the pair being handed stalls 16 and 17 respectively.

East India Dock will enter from stall six and will be ridden by Harry Davies, who steered the reopposing Hugo Palmer-trained Zoffee to victory from stall one last year. This time round, Joe Leavy's mount will break from stall four.

Harry Davies steered Zoffee to win last year's Chester CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Andrew Balding, who last enjoyed success in this contest with Montaly in 2017, will be represented by second favourite Who's Glen and Spirit Mixer, who finished 13th last year but has registered three victories from five starts at the track.

Ryan Moore teamed up with Aidan O'Brien to land this in 2022 with Cleveland and this year Moore partners the Joseph O'Brien-trained Leinster, who scored at the Curragh on his seasonal return in March and has been cut to 5-1 (from 8) after being handed stall five. The Irish trainer also saddles Dawn Rising.

Ladbrokes spokesperson Alex Apati said: "A handy draw has seen Leinster's odds of claiming this year's Chester Cup slashed almost in half, with the chasing pack very much closing the gap on long-time frontrunner, East India Dock."

Hot Fuss returns to the Flat after finishing a promising fourth in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham in March. Trained by Tom Dascombe, who won the Ormonde Stakes at this fixture with Brown Panther in 2014, the son of Calyx won a Southwell handicap in February.

Caballo De Mar will also take his chance for George Scott and is bidding to complete a six-timer for the yard. The four-year-old ended last year with successive wins, before stretching his winning sequence to five after racking up a hat-trick at Southwell this year.

Four of the last five winners of the Chester Cup have been drawn in stall ten or higher, while the three previous scorers before then entered from six, two and four respectively.

The Venetia Williams-trained Morning Air will break from stall one, with Emiyn in two and Hot Fuss in three. 

Chester Cup confirmed runners and riders

Chemistry (stall 12) George Wood
Dawn Rising (15) Ray Dawson
Divine Comedy (7) Kaiya Fraser
Duke of Oxford (14) Tom Marquand
Who's Glen (10) Oisin Murphy
Charging Thunder (16) David Probert
Hot Fuss (3) Pierre-Louis Jamin
Zoffee (4) Joe Leavy
Vaguely Royal (11) Connor Beasley
Spirit Mixer (13) Rob Hornby
Emiyn (2) Zak Wheatley
Leinster (5) Ryan Moore
East India Dock (6) Harry Davies
Caballo De Mar (8) Callum Shepherd
Morning Air (1) Joe Fanning
Bashful Boy (9) Aiden Brookes
Liam Swagger (17) Saffie Osborne

Ladbrokes Chester Cup (3.05 Chester, Friday)
Sponsors: 4-1 East India Dock, 5 Leinster, Who's Glen, 8 Hot Fuss, 10 Caballo de Mar, 12 Dawn Rising, Divine Comedy, Zoffee, 16 Charging Thunder, Chemistry, Duke Of Oxford, Emiyn, 20 bar

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