CHESTER WEDNESDAY

TRIP To Paris, patiently ridden in difficult circumstances by Graham Lee, proved just too good for Tony Martin’s 4/1 favourite Quick Jack in the Betway Chester Cup when a rainy spring meeting opened on Wednesday.

It might easily have been a first Irish victory because Zafayan, trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Pat Smullen, moved through to take the lead from John Reel at the furlong pole.

However, Quick Jack finally got to him, only to give best to Trip To Paris, who was switched wide by Graham Lee and found the best finishing speed, prevailing by three-quarters of a length with Zafayan only half a length away. Then came two of the Koukash/Fahey contingent, Gabrial’s King and Gabrial’s Star, the latter looking unlucky in running, though that will often be the case around this unique circuit.

Trip To Paris, a four-year-old by Champs Elysees, has improved since Ed Dunlop stepped him up in trip.

He beat Gabrial’s King comfortably over two miles at Ripon and stayed every yard of the two and a quarter here, though Lee was trapped on the inside for quite some time. Once in the clear, the 10/1 chance came home in style and there may be more in the locker.

If that is the case, he may join Red Cadeaux in a bid for the Melbourne Cup, his illustrious stable-companion having finished second in that race three times.

“Well, we’ll have to go in the big boy league now anyway,” the trainer said. “He’s won off 99 and there’s the possibility of the Northumberland Plate but a couple of the owners in the La Grange Partnership will want to supplement him for the Ascot Gold Cup. He hasn’t got the same speed as Red Cadeaux and they’re a different size but we could take him to Melbourne and halve the expenses!”

Quick Jack went one better than his thirds in the Cesarewitch but Martin was understandably disappointed.

“It’s frustrating when you get that close,” he said. “He’s knocking on the door and ran a blinder in Cesarewitch, looked the winner three out at Cheltenham and has run another cracker today.”

Lee rode an admirably calm race and later made it a 285/1 double on Paul Midgley’s 25/1 chance Silvanus, a most unlikely winner of the conditions sprint at the age of 10.