Tuesday, January 21, 2003

PIPE AND HENDERSON DOMINATE THE LADBROKES TROPHY CHASE BETTING

"We would expect Lady Cricket, on best form, to go very close and there would be serious shouts for Horus too who is arguably running back at a more suitable trip," said Balthazar Fabricius of Ladbrokes. "It will be very interesting to see how the market develops as we approach the weekend," added Fabricius.

Ladbrokes Trophy Chase
2m5f, Cheltenham, Sat 25th January 2003 (3:10pm)
6 Hermes III, 6 Horus, 6 Lady Cricket, 8 Ballinclay King, 8 Halexy, 8 Katarino, 8 La Landiere, 10 Foly Pleasant, 10 Shamawan, 12 Just Jasmine, 12 Poliantas, 12 Run For Paddy, 14 Dorans Gold, 14 Tom Costalot, 16 Be My Manager, 16 Royal Predica, 16 Blowing Wind, 16 Mr Baxter Basics, 16 Quality First, 20 Handyman, 25 Arlequin De Sou, 25 Ceanannas Mor, 25 Needwood Lion, 25 Royal Signature, 33 Arctic Fancy, 40 Akarus, 40 Juralan, 50 Chevalier Errant, 66 Merry Minstrel, 500 Banner Gale

COOL INVESTMENT BIDDING FOR HAT-TRICK IN skybet.com GREAT YORKSHIRE CHASE

The Berkshire-based trainer said today: "At the moment the intention is to run Cool Investment at Doncaster, but the ground would definitely have to be on the soft side."

The progressive six-year-old won twice in novice company at Warwick and Newbury in December, but the form of these events has left Stronge a little confused.

"Cool Investment has come out of Newbury very, very well although that form has taken a bit of a dent as the second and third have both run and been pulled up - however, they both pulled up too early to really tell anything.

"The form of his Warwick win looks a bit better - Wild Spice ran a cracker at Chepstow the other day [two-length runner-up to Ask Henry on Friday] and we beat him by 20 lengths."

Cool Investment will be taking on experienced handicappers for the first time on Saturday but his handler is very much looking forward to the challenge.

The former jockey continued: "Our horse is on the way up and this will be his first competitive handicap. But I'm never against a young horse who's progressing taking his chance in a decent handicap."

Cool Investment has been raised a stone from a mark of 108 in his victory at Newbury to a new level of 122, and has been allocated 10st 3lb on Saturday.

"It's a bit of a severe hike in the weights but we're not going to get his mark down by running in ordinary novice races - they're going to leave him on that rating until he runs in a handicap so we might as well take a chance at Doncaster. If he's good enough, great, and if he's not, then it's back to the drawing board," said Stronge.

The trainer's optimism is undented by the fact that his charge has previously put in two lacklustre runs, one over hurdles and one in a Listed contest on the Flat, at Town Moor.

"His two previous outings at Doncaster have been nothing fantastic but on the hurdle run things didn't really go his way and he's obviously improved a lot since then," added Stronge. "I'm not too worried about the track - I think they all come alike and it doesn't really bother him. I think it's coincidence that he's had the two runs there and not sparked - it's not really a worry for me."

The high opinion that the trainer has for Cool Investment is reflected in that, as well as being entered for this very competitive handicap, the six-year-old has been given an entry for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

"I think a hell of a lot of Cool Investment but he'll have to run well on Saturday in a handicap off this mark if he's going to be good enough to go to Cheltenham. We'll only go to Cheltenham if we thought that he had a realistic chance as I'm not one for going for a day out - I get enough of them!"

Steven Clarke, Doncaster's General Manager, reported the latest going at Town Moor at 1pm on Tuesday as " good to soft on the chase course, soft on the hurdles course. We've not had a lot of rain since yesterday lunchtime but it's just started raining, just a bit of drizzle really. We've got a bit more rain forecast for today and tomorrow."

Meanwhile the Andrew Balding-trained Gunner Welburn, given a weight of 11st 2lb today, has come in for sustained support with Sky Bet, the sponsor of the skybet.com Great Yorkshire Chase, being backed from 10/1 to 7/1. There has also been some money for current ante-post favourite Barryscourt Lad, trained by champion handler Martin Pipe, at 7/2, who is 36th in the handicap at the moment on 9st 10lb. There is a limit of 22 runners on Saturday.

Sky Bet spokesman Dale Tempest said: "Gunner Welburn has been the one jumper in the market. We priced up our race before the weights were published and as soon as punters knew that he was definitely going for the contest, they decided to back him.

"Barryscourt Lad has seen some money at 7/2, but nothing significant, and punters are obviously waiting until Mr Pipe reveals his hand. If he gets into the race, especially on a mark of 10st, he could go off at even shorter odds, perhaps even 2/1."

Current Sky Bet Prices on the skybet.com Great Yorkshire Chase: 7/2 Barryscourt Lad, 7/1 Gunner Welburn (from 10/1), 8/1 Joss Naylor, La Landiere, 9/1 Horus, 10/1 Carryonharry, 12/1 Bold Investor, Silver Steel, 14/1 Ryalux, Spendid, Tom Costalot, 16/1 Bobby Grant, Cool Investment, Delgany Royal, Dorans Gold, Ifni Du Luc, Iris Bleu, Robbo, Run For Paddy, 20/1 bar

ETERNAL SPRING ON COURSE FOR BYRNE BROS CLEEVE HURDLE

Two of the entries - the Irish-trained Davenport Milenium and Eternal Spring - are currently engaged in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 11. Eternal Spring was today confirmed a definite starter on Saturday by trainer James Fanshawe, who sent out Hors La Loi III to win last year's Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

The six-year-old finished a staying-on fourth behind Like-A-Butterfly in last season's Gerrard Wealth Management Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the National Hunt Festival and earlier this season was successful in the Concord Jubilee Filing Products Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on December 14. He was most recently fourth in the Unicoin Homes New Homes Spa Hurdle over three miles at Cheltenham on December 31.

Fanshawe said today: "It is currently the intention to run Eternal Spring in the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.

"I think its true to say that he didn't get home in the Spa Hurdle last time out. It was a combination of both not getting the trip - as the race was run at a good pace - and also the ground was very soft that day.

"The trip on Saturday (2m 5f 110yds) is fine for him - he's won over it before. He doesn't seem to mind what the ground is like as long as it's not too soft. I don't know who will be riding him yet."

Asked whether Eternal Spring could join his stablemate Hors La Loi III in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle on March 11, Fanshawe replied: "Lets get Saturday out of the way with first!"

Eternal Spring, along with Davenport Milenium, is also engaged in the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle, as are Classified, Native Emperor, Rostropovich and Sudden Shock (who also holds an entry in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase) among Saturday's entry. Comex Flyer, Mr Cool and Texas Ranger complete the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle entry.

The ground at Cheltenham remains good to soft, soft in places, ahead of Saturday's seven-race card.

Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse reported today: "We are forecast largely bright days for the remainder of the week with a few showers. There could be a cold interlude at the end of the week and some forecasts are saying that there could be a frost on Friday night. However, it does not look like it will be particularly severe and no problems are anticipated."

* Opening betting on Saturday's feature £80,000 Pillar Property Chase (Cashmans):
3 Bacchanal, 7/2 Valley Henry, 6 Cyfor Malta, 7 Foly Pleasant, 7 Truckers Tavern, 8 Behrajan, 11 Foxchapel King, 11 Gingembre, 12 Rince Ri, 16 Southern Star, 50 Go Ballistic (SP offered for See More Business as a doubtful runner at this stage)

SEDGEFIELD PLACEPOT DIVIDEND THE BIGGEST AT TRACK IN TEN YEARS

"It proved a frustrating day for many Placepot punters following the action at Sedgefield this afternoon, but a particularly lucrative for a few," said Tote spokesman Jeremy Scott.

"Placepot statistics suggest Sedgefield is usually one of the easier courses in which to get a 'Placepot up' but 16-1, 12-1 and 16-1 (paid £9.40 a Place on the Tote) place finishers in the third leg of the bet quickly whittled down the tickets. Any punter surviving that scare must have thought their luck was in only to see the first three home in leg five returned at 33-1, 50-1 and 14-1."

"By the time the final leg of the bet arrived just £14.95 of rolling-on money remained. The bet was won to £6.40 ,paying a massive £4,802.30 to a £1 stake."

"Despite the freak results, remarkably one punter betting through Tote Direct in a Coral shop in Kent saw his £2 straight line pay over £9,500 on the bet!"

DALTON LIKELY TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE IN SKYBET.COM GREAT YORKSHIRE CHASE

The Shropshire-based trainer will monitor the weather this week before making a final decision about challenging for Doncaster's top jump race which is run over three miles. The going on the chase course at the Yorkshire course on Monday was officially, good to soft, good in places.

"I'm waiting to see on the ground but Run For Paddy and Quality First are both well and we'd like to run them at the weekend," said Dalton. "Run For Paddy prefers better ground than Quality First."

On his only outing this season, Run For Paddy defied top-weight of 11st 13lb to win a three-mile handicap chase at Chepstow in October, beating Village King by a length and three-quarters.

"Run For Paddy sustained quite a nasty injury to a joint at Chepstow and that's why he hasn't run since - another horse must have struck into the outside of his joint and unfortunately this left him with a very bad cut into the bone," explained Dalton. "He's back on form now and he does go very well on better ground - if it's soft ground he won't run.

"Run For Paddy is off a good weight at Doncaster - he's 5lb off top-weight. That would be an ideal racing weight and I think the track would suit him. He'd be 50/50 about going to Doncaster - Cheltenham is the other option. Saying that he's won at Doncaster [beating Poliantas by five lengths in a novices' chase in March] but he has yet to win at Cheltenham over fences."

Quality First won a handicap chase at Cheltenham on his first outing for Dalton on New Year's Day, when he displayed his resoluteness, getting up on the run-in to beat Arlequin De Sou by a neck. He, like Run For Paddy, is entered in a handicap chase over two miles, five, furlongs at Cheltenham on the same day.

"Quality First will be out of the handicap at Cheltenham so he won't run there unless the top two in the weights don't run or if he's only 1lb or 2lb out of the handicap."

Before joining Dalton, the 10-year-old had been trained in Ireland.

"Quality First is very well and I think he is probably better now than he was when he run at Cheltenham. He seems very well with himself at home.

"The owner [Felix Sheridan] lives in this country and he met us several years ago when Andrew [Dalton's husband] was winning the point-to-point championship and we'd had four winners on the day. I think we met the man on the right day!

"He kept us in mind - he wanted to move the horse back over to England and also wanted him to come to a yard where he'd get individual attention because he's a very quirky horse and a difficult ride at home.

"He wanted to be sure that the horse would be ridden out by the same person every day. Andrew rides him and luckily has struck up a good partnership with him."

Sky Bet, one of Britain's largest horseracing and sports betting companies, supports the Great Yorkshire Chase for the first time and in the opening betting made the Martin Pipe-trained novice chase, Barryscourt Lad, the 7/2 favourite. However, the nine-year-old is not guaranteed a run if a maximum field of 22 turns out as he will be towards the bottom of the handicap when the weights come out this afternoon. Run For Paddy and Quality First are priced at 16/1 and 20/1 respectively.

There are four entries from Ireland among the 41 for the skybet.com Great Yorkshire Chase, and if either Delgany Royal, Precious Music, Kings Valley or Silver Steel turn up and win they would be the first succeed from across the Irish Sea since Knock Hard, trained by the great Vincent O'Brien, won in 1953.

Last year's Great Yorkshire Chase went to the Ian Balding-trained Moor Lane while two years earlier novice chaser Beau won for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies. Beau went on to finish second to Marlborough in the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, before running away with the Whitbread Gold Cup by a distance at Sandown in the April.

The following year Beau looked to have an almighty chance in the Martell Grand National at Aintree when going well on the second circuit, only a problem with the reins meant jockey Carl Llewellyn was unseated.

In 1996 the Great Yorkshire Chase was won by Addington Boy, who proved five lengths too strong for Merry Master. Gordon Richards , Addington Boy's trainer, followed up with the Sir Robert Ogden-owned General Command the following year.

Addington Boy subsequently performed creditably in both the Martell Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In 1999 he finished fourth in the former and fifth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and the following season he again ran well at Aintree, coming fifth to Papillon.

Twiston-Davies gained the first of his two successes in the Great Yorkshire Chase, courtesy of Young Hustler in 1993. Two months later Young Hustler won the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the following year he came third to The Fellow in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Gloucestershire-based trainer has two entries this year, Shardam and Roller Blade.

Bob Tisdall defied a massive weight of 12st 5lb to beat Sir Jest unchallenged by 15 lengths in 1988. This victory was all the more creditable as 21 runners went to post, more than in any renewal since 1948.

On his next run the John Edwards-trained gelding found only The West Awake too good when runner-up in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Edwards and jockey Tom Morgan went on to score back-to-back successes in the skybet.com Great Yorkshire Chase when Proverity won the 1989 running.

The mighty Michael Dickinson-trained Bregawn won Doncaster's most valuable chase in 1982, beating Megans Boy by two-and-a-half lengths when a heavily-backed favourite. The following season Bregawn was an integral part of perhaps the greatest training feat ever, when he was victorious in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the second to fifth horses all also trained by Dickinson.

Steven Clarke, Doncaster's General Manager, commented: "skybet.com Great Yorkshire Chase Day is the most important day's jumping at Doncaster and we are delighted to have received so many entries."

Latest Skybet Prices


Barryscourt Lad 7/2
Joss Naylor 8/1
La Landiere 8/1
Horus 9/1
Carryonharry 10/1
Gunner Welburn 10/1
Bold Investor 12/1
Silver Steel 12/1
Ryalux 14/1
Spendid 14/1
Tom Costalot 14/1
Bobby Grant 16/1
Cool Investment 16/1
Delgany Royal 16/1
Dorans Gold 16/1
Ifni Du Luc 16/1
Iris Bleu 16/1
Robbo 16/1
Run For Paddy 16/1
A Piece Of Cake 20/1
Ballybough Rasher 20/1
Ceanannas Mor 20/1
Gun N Roses 20/1
Haut Cercy 20/1
Kings Valley 20/1
Maximize 20/1
Native Man 20/1
Quality First 20/1
Shardam 20/1
Tonoco 20/1
Ideal Du Bois Beury 25/1
Il'Athou 25/1
Paris Pike 25/1
Precious Music 25/1
Raffles Rooster 25/1
Un Jour A Vassy 25/1
Random Harvest 33/1
Chevalier Errant 40/1
Donnybrook 40/1
Nordic Prince 40/1
Roller Blade 40/1

QUALITY PILLAR PROPERTY CHASE HEADS THE SATURDAY ACTION AT CHELTENHAM

A dozen entries have been received for the Pillar Property Chase, run over three miles, one and a half furlongs, and these are headed by the 1999 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup hero See More Business. Paul Nicholls' charge was the winner of the Pillar Property in both 1998 and 2001, plus being third in 1999. See More Business could be joined by his younger stable companion Valley Henry, who has been impressive at Wincanton and Sandown this year.

Another previous winner amongst the line-up is Cyfor Malta, who landed this prestigious contest in 1999, as well as the Thomas Pink Gold Cup in 1998 and 2002. Last season's Pillar Property Chase victor Rince Ri has also been entered, along with fellow Irish raider Foxchapel King, winner of the inaugural Intervet Trophy at Cheltenham in November, 2000.

Also among the field are Truckers Tavern, triumphant in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock last Saturday and the 2001 Scottish Grand National hero Gingembre, while Henrietta Knight has entered Southern Star and Foly Pleasant. The field is completed by the Nicky Henderson-trained Bacchanal, Behrajan who hails from Henry Daly's yard and the veteran Cheltenham performer Go Ballistic, second in the Pillar Property in both 1999 and 2000 and third 12 months ago, who is trained by Richard Phillips.

Simon Marsh, Racing Manager to Bacchanal's owner Lady Lloyd-Webber and also a member of the Behrajan Syndicate, today said: "Bacchanal is a definite runner at this stage while Behrajan is a possible runner."

Bacchanal currently holds entries for both the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle at the National Hunt Festival but Marsh was keen to stress that the Pillar Property Chase is the horse's first target.

Marsh said: "We hope he's going to win the Pillar Property Chase! Then after that we will see what we are going to do."

Referring to Behrajan, Marsh said: "He came out of his run at Ascot well and is 100% at the moment. I think it's very unfair to say that every other race he runs badly as he's only been out of the first three about three or four times in his life.

"Although he didn't run well in last year's Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup or first time out at Navan, we sent him to Yogi Breisner's between Navan and Ascot and that really seemed to freshen him up."

In addition to the Pillar Property Chase, there are six other excellent races on Saturday's card.

The main supporting race of the day, the £75,000 Grade One BYRNE BROS CLEEVE HURDLE (2.00pm), has been reopened and entries for this valuable contest will be accepted up until early this morning.

Another important hurdle race on Saturday is the £30,000 Grade Two WRAGGE & CO FINESSE JUVENILE NOVICES' HURDLE (3.45pm) over two miles and one furlong, which has attracted 18 entries and looks set to be a significant trial for the JCB Triumph Hurdle on March 13.

Martin Pipe's Don Fernando and Nicky Henderson's Saintsaire look to head the home challenge, while French trainer Guillaume Macaire - who the race in 2001 with Jair Du Cochet - has two entries, Lougaroo and Lilium De Cotte, and German handler Christian Von Der Recke has Moneytrain engaged.

Von Der Recke revealed today that Moneytrain is on course for the contest: "He wasn't fully fit for his first run at Haydock and then improved on his second run when he was second in a good race at Leicester, where he went up the inside and got caught up in the heavy ground.

"It was always the plan to go for the Finesse Hurdle if he had won at Leicester and, as he ran so well, we thought we should still run anyway.

"The conditions of the race suit us at Cheltenham as we receive weight from previous winners and I think the ground should be better for him there. He doesn't mind soft ground but doesn't like it as heavy as it was at Leicester.

"I think its like if you have a Porsche or Mercedes and drive it on a field - it won't be as good as a Range Rover. But on the motorway it will be a be a different story. I hope we have a motorway on Saturday!

"Saturday's race will tell us more about Moneytrain and whether it is worth running him in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. He will certainly be entered for the race on Wednesday."

Von Der Recke could also have a representative in the first race of the day, the £15,000 ROYAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE HUSSARS NOVICES' HANDICAP HURDLE (12.55pm) over two miles and one furlong. Translucid won last time out at Warwick on November 26 and the trainer is hoping that he may turn into a contender for the Gerrard Wealth Management Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He said: "Translucid is similar to Moneytrain in that we are running him to find out how good he is. He won a 22-runner race at Warwick last time. Timeform didn't rate him after that performance - I rate him a bit higher.

"If he's good enough to win at Cheltenham on Saturday then we would go for the Supreme and take the handicap as a present. If he isn't good enough we will look for something else."

Completing the racing action on Saturday are the £40,000 LADBROKE TROPHY CHASE (3.10pm) which has attracted 30 entries, the £20,000-added TIMEFORM NOVICES' HANDICAP CHASE (1.30pm) with 21 possibles and the £20,000-added WESTERN DAILY PRESS HANDICAP HURDLE (4.20pm), also receiving 30 entries.

The ground at Cheltenham is currently good to soft, soft in places. Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse reported yesterday that the weather for the rest of the week is likely to be a mixture of sunshine and showers. There could be some frost towards the end of the week before the weather becomes milder again by Saturday. No problems are anticipated at present.

Peter McNeile, Commercial Manager at Cheltenham, said: "Pillar Property Chase day on Saturday is all set to be an afternoon of fine National Hunt racing."

CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN ENQUIRY DETAILS

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