Bulwark swoops for shock Chester Cup win

May 8 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

BULWARK may have his quirks, but he arrived with a perfectly executed run to land a 33-1 shock victory in yesterday’s totesport.com Chester Cup.

The opening day feature of the sun-drenched May meeting on the Roodee had looked a straight fight between Som Tala and Tilt coming to the two-furlong marker. But on his first start on the Flat for trainer Ian Williams, Bulwark finally delivered what he had threatened to do on several occasions in the past and landed a big-race success under Jim Crowley.

Now Royal Ascot could beckon for the former Amanda Perratt-trained six-year-old.

It was Worcestershire trainer Williams’s biggest Flat win and he said: “Jim said to me when I first spoke to him about the horse that he could win a Chester Cup.

“This is just fantastic – the owners are local people and have always wanted to win the Chester Cup. Now they have managed to do it in their first season.”

Williams added: “He could now go to Haydock at the end of the month, or go to Royal Ascot. He’s not in the Gold Cup but the Ascot Stakes is a possibility.”

Bulwark had some top form in staying handicaps with Perrett, including when third in both the Group Two Yorkshire Cup and the Henry II Stakes at Sandown. He had also been an unlucky sixth behind Admiral in the Chester Cup two years ago.

But having been out of form Perrett went to the sales, where Bulwark was bought by Williams and sent hurdling with little success. He was last seen when pulled up in the Grade One Citroen C5 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last month.

Bulwark had to survive a stewards inquiry, before being confirmed the winner of yesterday’s £120,000 contest having triumphed by half-a-length from Som Tala (10-1), with Tilt (8-1) a neck back in third and Double Banded (9-2) fourth.

Williams added: “I watched the race from the top of the hill and people were looking at me as if I was mad!

“We’ve had him since October. We paid 36,000 guineas for him with a view to going over hurdles and if he wasn’t good at that we’d bring him back here.

“We tried him over hurdles. Amanda told us what was wrong with him. We treated his wind, we castrated him. Jim gave him a fantastic ride. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

“He responded to the visor and we only decided to put that on yesterday. I suppose he has deserved his rude names but every dog has its day – and I wouldn’t mind having his puppies if he could have them!”

Earlier in the afternoon Aidan O’Brien’s Sail put down a marker for the Juddmonte Oaks with victory in the Weatherbys Bank Cheshire Oaks.

Last year Light Shift took the same Chester contest en route to Epsom glory. And following yesterday’s half-length success over Sugar Mint under Johnny Murtagh, O’Brien’s Sail is as low as 10-1 with some firms for the fillies’ Classic on June 6, although Ladbrokes were best-priced at 16-1.

O’Brien was not present at Chester, but Ballydoyle representative Tim Corballis said: “It was a trial today, but an important trial for us.

“I think Aidan will be very pleased with that and there is plenty of scope there. She is a relaxed filly and Epsom would be a possibility.”

Murtagh added: “She has speed, stays and would suit the track at Epsom.

“She improved from her maiden and if she can improve again from her trial she will go to Epsom with a shout.

She would be top of our pile at the moment after that, but the next two weeks with all the trials will tell us more.”

CHESTER PREDICTIONS (Day One):

1.45pm Temple Place

2.15pm Maraahel

2.45pm (Chester Vase) Pampas Cat

3.15pm Royalist

4pm Senatorial

4.35pm Not My Choice

TODAY’S NAP: Albaraari (4.10pm Goodwood).