Metier (5-1) flew home late under Saffie Osborne to grab victory in the tote Chester Cup on final day of the 2023 Boodles Chester May Festival.
Harry Fry's dual purpose star – a winner of the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle over Jumps in 2021 and November Handicap on the Flat at Doncaster – came late and fast to collar Zoffee (11-1) and land the prestigious handicap on the Roodee. Emiyn had set much of the running with Metier sitting well back in the field. But as they turned for home in the 2m2f contest the well-backed 11-4 favourite Call My Bluff, who was in third spot under John Egan for much of the race, came through to take over from Emiyn. But he looked a sitting duck from those coming from out of the pack and first Zoffee took over in the lead. As they battled in the run to the line Metier came down the outside to land the victory by a neck from Zoffee – trained by Hugo Palmer at former Liverpool FC and England forward Michael Owen's Manor House stables in Cheshire. Call My Bluff was three-quarters-of-a-length back in third with Ian Williams' Law Of The Sea (40-1), who had a troubled passage, a further three-quarters-of-a-length adrift back in fourth under Scouse jockey Franny Norton. Zoffee's stable-mate and last year's third Rajinsky was fifth.
Winning jockey Osborne said: "It didn't really go right through the race, I was too far back and he was all guts. I was saying what a tough horse he is, but he's also extremely talented and still fairly unexposed at this trip on the Flat. You'd like to think there's more left in the tank. He's just got a lot of ability and for a big horse he's very well balanced to go round a track like this. I was having to make up ground on a part of a track that I didn't really want to have to, but he was making it feel very easy and I didn't want to check his momentum."
Trainer Fry, who is chiefly a National Hunt handler, was having more success on the Flat with Metier.
Fry, paying his first ever visit to Chester, said: "We've had some good runs and near misses in big races, but this means such a lot – it keeps our head above the parapet. We knew the draw (stall 14) wasn't ideal, but Saffie sat as far forward as she could. She's given him an absolutely wonderful ride. Watching him go past here on the final circuit he was 12th, but all he's done in the straight is keep rolling and rolling. He's shown all his best form on slower ground, but getting the right horses at the right time is really what it boils down to. It's my first time here at Chester and walking round the course I thought 'what an amazing place'."
Jockey Ben Curtis, who rode runner-up Zoffee, added: "That was a hell of a training performance by Hugo (Palmer), to have him near spot-on after seven months off. The race went well for us, it was a good battle to the line but possibly the winner might have been more race-fit. Take nothing away from our horse though, he's run a blinder."
Point Lonsdale (5-6 favourite) battled to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a fourth victory in the Group Two IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes. The Irish trainer has won this Group Two contest with the likes of Deauville (2017) and Armory (2021) in recent seasons and Point Lonsdale followed in their hoofprints with a fine success under Ryan Moore. The four-year-old son of Derby hero Australia, who had won the Chesham Stakes as a juvenile at Royal Ascot, had taken the Group Three Alleged Stakes at the Curragh stepped up to this 1m2f for the first time on his seasonal return last month. And he added another success and could head back to Royal Ascot for the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes next month. Although trainer O'Brien expects to step him up in trip again to 1m4f for the Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 2. Point Lonsdale sat just off the pace set by Poker Face, although he wasn't travelling well and had to be pushed along by Moore. But once he saw off Poker Face he battled on for victory by a neck from Mujtaba (4-1).
Point Lonsdale was cut to 5-2 co-favourite with Paddy Power alongside Emily Upjohn and Westover for the Coronation Cup after the race. Moore, winning the Huxley Stakes for a record eighth time, said: "He was a good two-year-old who won a Listed race, a Group Three and a Group Two but he wasn't around for most of last year. It wasn't very pretty, was it? He's a real galloper and he probably hasn't been round a tight track like this before. He's only really been to the Curragh, Leopardstown and Ascot and he was just a bit unsure what to do with himself. Today's race was well up to standard and the track didn't suit him, but he has a great attitude to be fair to him and plenty of ability. It was a very good performance."
Revich (9-2) ran out a comfortable winner of the opener, the the CAA Stellar Earl Grosvenor Handicap, at Chester. Under Jim Crowley, the Richard Spencer-trained seven-year-old was sat in rear off the pace set by Wobwobwob. But he was travelling well and weaved his way through a wall of horses to hit the front in the final couple of furlongs of the mile contest. Revich, owned by the in-form Middleham Racing, moved clear of his rivals and scored by three lengths from Witch Hunter (50-1) with Percy's Lad (8-1) a neck back in third, just holding off last year's winner Red Mirage (11-1) by a nose.
Pride Of America (4-1) led all the way and battled to a gutsy victory in the Precision Facades Handicap at Chester. Under Hollie Doyle, the Amy Murphy-trained six-year-old went straight to the lead and kicked away from the field just before the turn for home. Few in behind could go with Pride Of America, although Savvy Victory (3-1 favourite), under Ryan Moore came up to challenge in the final furlong. But Pride Of America battled on gamely to score by a length from Savvy Victory, with Certain Lad (14-1) a further length-and-a-half back in third.
Banderas (5-4 favourite) battled hard to win the Boodles Darley Maiden Stakes. Under Ryan Moore, Michael Bell's three-year-old finally get off the mark in the 1m4f contest although similar to Moore's earlier victory on Point Lonsdale he had to battle to triumph. He came through to challenge the long-time leader Chronograph (4-1) and eventually just scored by a neck.
