Thursday, October 28, 2004

EXCELLENT 42 ENTRIES FOR PADDY POWER GOLD CUP

Our Vic 9/2 favourite with the sponsor

Last year's winner Fondmort is a 16/1 chance with the sponsors to follow up on his 2003 victory, when he justified favouritism to score by eight lengths from Poliantas.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has won the 2m 4.5f contest six times courtesy of Beau Ranger (1987), Challenger Du Luc (1996), Cyfor Malta (1998), Lady Cricket (2000), Shooting Light (2001) and Cyfor Malta (2002) and this year has seven entries.

These include Our Vic, who has been made 9/2 favourite by Paddy Power, the three and a quarter length third to Rule Supreme in last season's Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham's National Hunt Festival in March, Seebald, winner of the Faucets For Mira Showers Silver Trophy Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in April when defeating Tikram (12/1) by half a length, and Therealbandit (10/1), winner of three races at Cheltenham last season.

Pipe's powerful team is completed by Puntal, winner of this year's Betfred Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown in April, It Takes Time (16/1), Mondial Jack, successful on his last two outings, and Celestial Gold, winner of the April Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

Fellow Somerset trainer Philip Hobbs was victorious in this event in 1989 with Joint Sovereignty and his three entries are Farmer Jack (8/1), Monkerhostin (13/2) and Cameron Bridge.

Farmer Jack was extremely impressive when winning Sunday's totesport Wigan Chase by 11 lengths from Take The Stand (10/1), while Monkerhostin showed tenacity when getting the better of Vodka Bleu by a neck on his seasonal debut in a handicap chase at Stratford earlier this month. Cameron Bridge also won on Sunday, scoring in the Desert Orchid Silver Cup at Wincanton by four lengths from Kelrev.

Colca Canyon (10/1) and Risk Accessor (12/1), trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington and Christy Roche respectively, were first and second in this month's Munster National at Limerick and the pair could bid to become the first Irish-trained winner since Bright Highway prevailed for Michael O'Brien in 1980.

O'Brien could try for a second personal success for himself with Banasan, who won his last start in the Kerry National at Listowel in September, defeating Fatherofthebride by a length and a half.

The Irish contingent is completed by Barrow Drive, a winner of two chases this year and the 12 length third to One Knight in the 2003 Royal & SunAlliance Chase, Ground Ball, two and a half lengths adrift of St Pirran in this year's Grand Annual Chase at The Festival, and Winning Dream, third in the 2003 Irish Grand National.

Henry Daly could run Hand Inn Hand (16/1) and Jakari (16/1). The former was four lengths too strong for Impek in the Grade One Ascot Chase on the last day of January, while Jakari was a winner at this meeting last year in the equivalent of the Club 16-24 Handicap Chase.

Le Roi Miguel (16/1), Thisthatandtother (14/1), Le Duc, L'Ange Au Ciel (16/1) and Spring Margot also give Paul Nicholls a strong hand in this competitive event.

Le Roi Miguel was disappointing at the end of last season but won two Grade One novice chases in 2003, Thisthatandtother won four novice chases last season, Le Duc is considered well-handicapped by owner Andy Stewart and was fourth behind Farmer Jack last weekend, L'Ange Au Ciel won his only start for the Somerset trainer in a novices' chase at Exeter in December, while Spring Margot has joined him from Venetia Williams's yard having been off the track for over two years.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ollie Magern is a 16/1 shot after his comfortable success in Wednesday's Ian Williams Owners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, where he defeated Comply Or Die by two and a half lengths

Weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup will be revealed on Wednesday, November 3.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is one of 63 races involved in the British Horseracing Board's new Order of Merit competition. The connections of the overall winner with the most points throughout the season will receive £200,000 - 75% to the owner, 12.5% to the trainer and the same again to the stable staff.

The winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, as a Grade Three event, will score 10 points while horses placed second to eighth will be allocated points on a sliding scale down to one point for eighth.

The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 12-14) is three days which herald the moment when Jump Racing takes centre stage and people gather to celebrate top quality steeplechasing and hurdle racing. Each day has its own character and together they form an irresistible package. In recent years horses have travelled over from Ireland and Cheltenham has welcomed international challengers from France, Norway and the Czech Republic.

Friday, November 12 is Countryside Day, Saturday, November 13 is Paddy Power Gold Cup Day, Cheltenham's first great occasion of the season with a crowd of 25,000 expected to witness the £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, while Sunday, November 14 features the £70,000 Greatwood Hurdle and sporting activities between members of Club 16-24 and the Young Farmers' Clubs.

Friday/Sunday admission prices are Club/Tattersalls: £20 (£18 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): £16; 16-24s: £12; Best Mate: £6; Rooster Booster Raceday Package: £44 and Best Mate Raceday Package: £22.

Saturday's admission prices are Club: £30 (£22 in advance); Tattersalls: £20 (£18 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): £16; Tattersalls seat: £15; 16-24s: £15; Best Mate: £10 (£8 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): £7; Rooster Booster Raceday Package: £44 and Best Mate Raceday Package: £24.

PADDY POWER ANTE-POST PRICES: 9/2 fav Our Vic, 13/2 Monkerhostin, 8 Farmer Jack, 10 Colca Canyon, Take The Stand, Therealbandit, 12 Calling Brave, Risk Accessor, Tikram 14 Ballycassidy, Thisthatandtother ,16 Fondmort, Hand Inn Hand, It Takes Time, Jakari, L'Ange Au Ciel, Le Roi Miguel, Ollie Magern, Scots Grey, Simply Gifted, 20 bar

EW 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4. Others on request. Ante-post rules apply.

THE PADDY POWER GOLD CUP

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
32321-U ATUM RE (IRE) 7 Paul Green Paul Webber
31112P- BALLYCASSIDY (IRE) 8 R Owen & P Fullagar Peter Bowen
F-32621 BANASAN (IRE) 6 S Mulryan Michael O'Brien IRE
1404-3U BARROW DRIVE 8 Exors of the Late Mrs B Lenehan Tony Mullins IRE
15P053-2 BETTER DAYS (IRE) 8 Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith
0/1111U- CALLING BRAVE (IRE) 8 Sir Robert Ogden Nicky Henderson
66F5-21 CAMERON BRIDGE (IRE) 8 The Country Side Philip Hobbs
13321- CELESTIAL GOLD (IRE) 6 David Johnson Martin Pipe
2-F12B1 COLCA CANYON (IRE) 7 Philip Myerscough Jessica Harrington IRE
P0100-1 FARMER JACK 8 Peter Partridge Philip Hobbs
14534F- FONDMORT (FR) 8 W. J. Brown Nicky Henderson
00/1U1P- GIOCOMO (IRE) 6 Mugsrus Barry Murtagh
13F120- GROUND BALL (IRE) 7 J P McManus Charlie Swan IRE
P/11U0/5- HALEXY (FR) 9 Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O'Neill
B2F143- HAND INN HAND 8 Patrick Burling Developments Ltd Henry Daly
0/21P00- INCHING CLOSER 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
162/F5P- IT TAKES TIME (IRE) 10 David Johnson Martin Pipe
242452- JAHASH 6 J Hawkins Alan King
115103- JAKARI (FR) 7 Earl of Cadogan Henry Daly
12204-2 KELREV (FR) 6 Len Jakeman, Flintham, King & Roberts Venetia Williams
1/1- L'ANGE AU CIEL (FR) 5 B C Marshall Paul Nicholls
013P4-4 LE DUC (FR) 5 Judy Stewart Paul Nicholls
24F4F6- LE ROI MIGUEL (FR) 6 Judy Stewart Paul Nicholls
21223-1 MASSAC (FR) 5 Million in Mind Partnership Alan King
U1P01-1 MONDIAL JACK (FR) 5 C. M., B. J. & R. F. Batterham II Martin Pipe
23116-1 MONKERHOSTIN (FR) 7 Martin St Quinton Philip Hobbs
0564-111 OLLIE MAGERN 6 Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies
11/2113- OUR VIC (IRE) 6 David Johnson Martin Pipe
415UU1- PUNTAL (FR) 8 Terry Neill Martin Pipe
P/5022U/- RED STRIKER 10 Norman Mason Richard Guest
U5003-0 REDEMPTION 9 John Duggan & Michael Purtill Nigel Twiston-Davies
4-23212 RISK ACCESSOR (IRE) 9 J P McManus Christy Roche IRE
133F/1F- SCOTS GREY 9 Henry Ponsonby Nicky Henderson
03U510- SEEBALD (GER) 9 The Macca & Growler Partnership Martin Pipe
3//1U41-0 SIMPLY GIFTED 9 Steve Hammond Jonjo O'Neill
11311P//- SPRING MARGOT (FR) 8 Sir Robert Ogden Paul Nicholls
4F-2112 TAKE THE STAND (IRE) 8 The Courters Peter Bowen
1111F0- THEREALBANDIT (IRE) 7 David Johnson Martin Pipe
121F22- THISTHATANDTOTHER (IRE) 8 Graham Roach Paul Nicholls
214112- TIKRAM 7 Mike Charlton And Rodger Sargent Gary Moore
12542-2 TURGEONEV (FR) 9 D F Sills Tim Easterby
13/43-20 WINNING DREAM (IRE) 10 Mrs C McKiernan Oliver McKiernan IRE
42 entries
6 Irish-trained entries

STRONG NORTHERN CHALLENGE IN CHARLIE HALL

The Yorkshire trainer said: "At the moment it looks like Royal Emperor and Artic Jack will both run in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.

"Both horses have done well over the summer and I'm very pleased with them - both are in grand order. They are in fine form - it's one of those things where because of their ratings it is not the easiest thing to find different races for them and unfortunately [but fortunately for Wetherby racegoers] we have had to put them together."

Royal Emperor won the equivalent of the Propencity Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby in February, staying on strongly to beat Native Emperor by 20 lengths, before finishing runner-up to Rule Supreme in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The previous year he was a short-head runner-up to Inching Closer in the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Artic Jack won two events at Haydock last season including the Peter Marsh Chase in January, when getting the better of Kingscliff by 13 lengths.

"Royal Emperor seems to particularly like running around Wetherby [he also won a handicap hurdle there in 2002] but then he's been a very easy horse so far to train - he's also won around Carlisle and Kelso and also he's done everything bar win around Cheltenham. I think he's a smashing horse to train and he tries his best wherever he goes really," she enthused.

"It would be lovely as a Yorkshire trainer to win the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. If you are lucky enough to win it, it's nice to have a big race under your belt."

Sue Johnson, wife of trainer Howard, has also revealed that Scottish Grand National hero Grey Abbey is likely to make his seasonal debut in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.

"I'm sure that Grey Abbey is going to run in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase but obviously the ground will have to be suitable - we want quite a lot of rain as he likes soft going," she said.

The 10-year-old was last seen in action when winning April's Scottish Grand National at Ayr by a distance from Kerry Lads, having also been successful in Doncaster's Grimthorpe Chase the previous month, when proving 10 lengths too powerful for Royal Auclair.

Grey Abbey's success at Ayr was no surprise to his yard despite being a 12/1 chance in the betting market.

"Didn't he really come good at the end of last season?" laughed Johnson. "We ran him a couple of times over hurdles so we thought we would run him at Doncaster over fences and he won there. The Scottish Grand National was always our aim if we could get him right - and he just went from strength to strength."

Johnson reports Grey Abbey in good form, although she feels he may have benefitted from a previous outing this term.

"Grey Abbey has done very well indeed over the summer - he looks very good," she enthused.

"This is his first race of the year and we would have liked to have got another prep race into him earlier on but there's been nothing for him so that hasn't been the case."

Tim Betteridge, Wetherby's Chief Executive, reported the current going unchanged at Wetherby and remains: "Good to Soft," this afternoon.

The sponsor, bet365, bets: 5/2fav Lord Sam, 3 Sir Rembrandt, 9/2 Royal Emperor, 6 Grey Abbey, 7 Marlborough, 14 Turgeonev, Artic Jack, 20 Knife Edge, 33 Amberleigh House, Ballycassidy

ARENA LEISURE APPOINT CLERK OF COURSE AT DONCASTER RACECOURSE

Jon said: “I am delighted to be appointed at Doncaster - a course with a fantastic history and some superb racing that I look forward to being part of. It is an exciting time to be joining the team here and with the future development plans beginning to get underway, I feel sure this will be a busy and rewarding role.”

MINISTER SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON GAMBLING BILL 'MEDIA MYTHS'

He set the record straight on ten myths about the Gambling Bill:

1 - 'The Bill has been rushed through'

“I can't recall a Bill that has been through as much scrutiny and consultation as this. It has been through years of independent review, consultation and scrutiny and has benefited from the excellent work of the Join Scrutiny Committee, headed by John Greenway. This is a Bill that has the support of the whole of Government from the Prime Minister down.”

2 - 'Casinos will appear on every High St against the will of local people'

“This is simply untrue. The Bill allows local people through local authorities to say no to new casinos in their areas. If local communities don't want them, they won't have them.”

3 - 'There will be up to 250 new super casinos'

“This is pure fantasy and impossible to substantiate. The industry's itself estimates that there will be between 20 and 40 new casinos on top of the 130 existing casinos. And all of these will be subject to Gambling Commission approval and local consent.

4 - 'Government policy is influenced by an American gaming industry lobbying campaign worth over a £100 million’

“A classic urban myth: how can the people who say that possibly know? Whatever effort they put into lobbying it hasn't bought them extra access let alone any favours.'

5 - 'Bill driven by desire to raise tax'

“The purpose of the Bill is to protect the public and keep gambling fair and crime free. That's why over 90% of the Bill will either toughen regulation or regulate previously unregulated areas. Taxation is a matter for the Treasury and the Chancellor will make his views known in the usual way.”

6 - 'The Government hasn't learnt from Australia's failed deregulation'

“This is in fact the opposite of the truth. I have seen for myself what a disaster the Australian model has been and it is one we have deliberately avoided. If you actually look at how they deregulated you will see that it is not casinos that are the problem - they only have 13 - but the 5,800 locations with high prize 'pokie' machines on the High St.

“Our policy is to restrict high prize gaming machines to destination casinos while actually reducing by 6,000 the number of locations you can play gaming machines on the High st. The only way the Australian experience is coming to the UK is if we don't pass the Bill and new
forms of gaming machines like roulette machines in bookmakers which evade current regulations are allowed to proliferate.”

7 - 'The Bill will open a door to organised crime'

“This is absurd and I can't believe anyone who says this has actually read the Bill. The Bill strengthens our ability to keep crime out ofgambling by giving a more powerful Gambling Commission powers to investigate, prosecute, enter premises, seize goods and void bets.”

8 - 'Problem gambling will double after the Bill'

“This reminds me of some of the merchants of doom who made similar predictions about the Lottery 10 years ago. What we do know is that without a Bill many new forms of gambling will go unregulated and problem gambling probably will rise. With the Bill we will have the
ability to monitor and counter any rise in problem gambling. If we need to get tougher we will. “

9 - 'The Government hasn't listened'

“We have been listening to the public and Parliament since Sir Alan Budd reported in 2001. The all party Joint Scrutiny Committee took a serious, rational look at the policy and agreed that a Bill was urgently needed but voiced concerns about problem gambling. We listened and accepted the vast majority of their recommendations and where we didn't accept, we went further to protect the public.”

10 - 'Faith groups, children's charities and groups concerned with problem gambling are against the Bill.'

“While some groups do have genuine and principled objections to some parts of the Bill its not right to say they oppose the Bill as a whole or, for example, the parts that bring in new protections against online gambling, remove 6,000 fruit machines from takeaways and mini cab offices and give local authorities new powers to say no to new casinos. We have an excellent relationship with them, they recognize the improvements we have already made and we will continue to listen to them respectfully.”

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

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