Forget World Cup, it’s joy for Owen in Chester Cup

MICHAEL OWEN won a Ballon d’Or and a raft of major honours, lit up a World Cup and was recognised as one of English football’s greatest strikers.

Proud of all that he may be, but the smile that lit up his face yesterday was comparable with any of the great days during his illustrious career.

Owen, owner of Manor House Stables and a racing devotee, realised a lifetime ambition when Zoffee won the 200th running of the Chester Cup. Chester in May is the meeting that consumes Owen. He thinks about it constantly, is always on the lookout for horses with the potential to be successful at the track, and everything came together spectacularly here as Zoffee delivered a thundering run under young jockey Harry Davies.

Zoffee had finished second in the Chester Cup 12 months ago and had a spell over hurdles in the winter but he was trained meticulously for this contest by Hugo Palmer and justified stable confidence, at 9-1. Owen has shares in many horses at Manor House — one of which, Box To Box, was beaten in a photo finish in the third race of the day — but has nothing to do with the ownership of Zoffee. None of that mattered.

‘They are all my horses!’ Owen said. ‘This is just incredible. Manor House is my pride and joy. I’m taking it step by step to get it to be as big as it can possibly be. This race has always been the headline. We train speed horses, primarily, and have a real small pool of horses for this event.

‘But Hugo is very good at training staying horses. I said earlier in the week that Zoffee was our big one. I had asked him about our chances and he replied, “We will win the Chester Cup”. I just cannot believe we have done.

‘I throw my life into this. When I am not on the TV talking rubbish about football, I spend every second in my stables. I watch every horse every day. You can’t understand what this means to me.’