Thursday, November 11, 2004
14 DECLARED FOR PADDY POWER GOLD CUP
AN EXCELLENT total of 14 horses have been declared for Saturday's £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, the highlight of The Open at Cheltenham.
Last year's hero Fondmort bids to retain his crown and become the first horse to record back-to-back victories since Bradbury Star in 1993 and 1994.
Martin Pipe, seeking his seventh Paddy Power Gold Cup, relies on It Takes Time and Celestial Gold while fellow Somerset trainer Philip Hobbs, successful in 1989 with Joint Sovereignty, also has a strong hand with recent impressive Aintree winner Farmer Jack and Monkerhostin, triumphant last season in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the current ante-post favourite. Farmer Jack's win at Aintree came in the Grade Two totesport Wigan Chase on October 24, when he had 11 lengths to spare over fellow Paddy Power Gold Cup contender Take The Stand. Both Farmer Jack and Take The Stand will be aiming to increase their points standing in the BHB's new Order of Merit Series in the Paddy Power Gold Cup following on from their efforts at Aintree.
Paul Nicholls has yet to add to Paddy Power Gold Cup to his CV but has two runners in Thisthatandtother, one of last season's leading novices and Le Duc while the Gary Moore-trained Tikram, successful over the course and distance in last year's Mildmay of Flete Chase at the Festival, is another leading contender.
The Irish have not landed the extended two and a half mile contest since Bright Highway in 1980 and this year are represented by Colca Canyon, fifth to Beef Or Salmon in last Saturday's James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal, and the Charlie Swan-trained Ground Ball, runner-up in the 2004 Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham.
Local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies runs Ollie Magern, an impressive winner at Cheltenham's October meeting, with the field completed by the Venetia Williams-trained Kelrev, fourth behind Tikram in last season's Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup, and Better Days from the Sue Smith yard. Better Days finished second to Spring Grove on his latest start over the course and distance in the RHT 40th Anniversary Handicap Chase on October 27 .
The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 12-14) comprises three days which herald the moment when jump racing takes centre stage. Each day has its own character and together they form an irresistible package.
THE PADDY POWER GOLD CUP
Class A, Grade Three, Total Prize Fund £110,000. Cheltenham, Saturday, November 13, 2004. 2m 4 1/2f. For five-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after October 30, a winner of a Class C steeple chase 3lb; of a Class A or B chase 6lb; no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 27, entries revealed October 28 (42 entries), weights revealed November 3. Five-day confirmation stage November 8, final declaration 10.00am Thursday, November 11. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Thursday, November 11.
Form Horse Age/Weight Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) 14534F- FONDMORT (FR) 8-11-12 Bill Brown Nicky Henderson/Mick Fitzgerlad
2) P0100-1 FARMER JACK 8-11-08 Peter Partridge Philip Hobbs/Paul Flynn
3) 4F-2112 TAKE THE STAND (IRE) 8-11-07 The Courters Peter Bowen/Seamus Durack
4) 2-F12B15 COLCA CANYON (IRE) 7-10-13 Philip Myerscough Jessica Harrington IRE/Barry Geraghty
5) 0564-111 OLLIE MAGERN 6-10-12 Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies/Carl Llewellyn
6) 121F22- THISTHATANDTOTHER (IRE) 8-10-12 Graham Roach Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh
7) 214112- TIKRAM 7-10-11 Mike Charlton And Rodger Sargent Gary Moore/Leighton Aspell
8) 162/F5P- IT TAKES TIME (IRE) 10-10-09 David Johnson Martin Pipe/
9) 13F120- GROUND BALL (IRE) 7-10-06 J P McManus Charlie Swan IRE/David Casey
10) 013P4-4 LE DUC (FR) 5-10-02 Judy Stewart Paul Nicholls/Joe Tizzard
11) 13321- CELESTIAL GOLD (IRE) 6-10-02 David Johnson Martin Pipe/
12) 12204-2 KELREV (FR) 6-10-01 Len Jakeman, Flintham, King & Roberts Venetia Williams/Sam Thomas (3)
13) 23116-1 MONKERHOSTIN (FR) 7-10-00 (9-13) Martin St Quinton Philip Hobbs/Tony Dobbin
14) 15P053-2 BETTER DAYS (IRE) 8-10-00 (9-10) Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith/Dominic Elsworth
14 declarations
2 Irish-trained
LATEST PADDY POWER PRICES
Monkerhostin 7 - 2
Thisthatandtother 11 - 2
Farmer Jack 9 - 1
Fondmort 9 - 1
Tikram 10 - 1
Ollie Magern 12 - 1
Celestial Gold 12 - 1
Ground Ball 12 - 1
Le Duc 16 - 1
Colca Canyon 16 - 1
Kelrev 16 - 1
It Takes Time 16 - 1
Take The Stand 16 - 1
Better Days 25 - 1
11 GO IN SERVO COMPUTER SERVICES TROPHY
Saturday's main supporting race, the £65,000 Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase, has attracted 11 runners.
The weight are headed by Royal Emperor, runner-up in last season's Royal & SunAlliance Chase with other leading contenders including Martin Pipe's Stormez, second in the race last year, the 2000 Royal & SunAlliance Chase victor Lord Noelie, AND the consistent Merchants Friend while French ace Francois Doumen sends over Innox.
This contest is another of the 63 races involved in the British Horseracing Board's new Order of Merit competition, as are the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle at The Open. 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.
REGISTANA HEADS SPORTING INDEX CHASE
Registana, victorious in the world's most grueling race the Velka Pardubicka in
2003 and 2004, head the 16 declared runners for tomorrow's Sporting Index Chase over Cheltenham's unique cross-country course.
The £30,000 race has also attracted another runner from the Czech Republic in the shape of Kyrton while there are four runners from Ireland, including the 2000 bonusprint.com Gold Cup hero Go Roger Go and Spot Thedifference, victorious in the La Touche Cup at Punchestown back in April.
Sporting Index, in a tongue in cheek fashion, are to provide the 16 jockeys who are riding in the Sporting Index Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow afternoon with a MAP and COMPASS before they set out on the marathon 32 fence twisting turning course.
Controversy was highlighted in this corresponding race back in November 2002, when three horses were disqualified for taking the wrong course and their jockeys fined.
PR Director Wally Pyrah commented "A map and compass should ensure there are no excuses this year!"
ADMISSION PRICES
Friday/Sunday admission prices are Club/Tattersalls: £20, 16-24s: £12; Best Mate: £6.
Saturday's admission prices are Club: £30 Tattersalls: £20: 16-24s: £15; Best Mate: £10.
All parking is FREE.
GOING UPDATE
Simon Claisse, Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course, said today: "The going remains unchanged - Good on the Chase and Hurdle Courses and Good, Good to Soft in places on the Cross Country Course.
"The weather forecast is dry until probably after racing on Friday. A little light rain is expected on Friday evening and then cold and dry for the weekend.
"Obviously, we had a very big entry for Friday and the fields have stood up very well - we have got some very competitive racing to look forward to tomorrow.
"We are right on the limit with 16 runners in the Sporting Index Cross Country Chase which is very good with Go Roger Go, Registana and Spot Thedifference all in there.
"A fantastic 11 in the Beards Jewellers Cup Handicap Chase - the two miler with Cenkos, Armaturk and other fine chasers all competing and a very good quality Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase.
"On Saturday a field of 14 in the Paddy Power Gold Cup is very good and we have got some very, very good horses in that event and we are looking forward to a competitive race.
"We also have 11 runners in the Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase which also looks like being a very competitive contest with the likes of Stormez, Lord Noelie, Bright Approach and Ballycassidy lining up."
TWILIGHT FIXTURES AT DUNSTALL PARK
Four additional races have been added to the original evening schedule for the next three Saturday fixtures at Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park.
This means that the race times for Saturday 13, 20 and 27 November are now as follows:
Date First Race: Last race:
Saturday 13 November 4.10 p.m - 9.30 p.m.
Saturday 20 November 4.05 p.m - 9.30 p.m.
Saturday 27 November 4.00 p.m - 9.30 p.m.
Marketing Manager Amanda Thomas said: "It's an added bonus that there are ten races for our visitors instead of six at no extra cost"
There will be a one and a half hour break following the afternoon races before the evening races start at the normal time of 7.00 p.m. Reservations for the restaurants will be taken up to 3.00 p.m. on each Saturday.
For further information or restaurant reservations telephone the Sales team on: 0870 220 0140.
SKY BET MORNING LINE "PRICEWISE" GUARANTEE
Sky Bet is pleased to announce that from Saturday, November 13, it will guarantee to hold all the morning prices in the Racing Post "Pricewise" races for the complete period of the Channel 4 Morning Line programme, which from this Saturday runs from the earlier time of 8.00am until 8.50am.
The offer applies in its entirety to customers using the digital interactive red button service. However, for those unable to use the digital service, Sky Bet will still guarantee to hold all the morning prices in the Racing Post "Pricewise" races for a minimum period of at least 15 minutes on the telephones.
To accommodate this new offer, telephone lines now have an earlier opening time of 8.00am. Sky Bet telephone customers are guaranteed to get at least a £25 bet on the selection of their choice during this period. Sky Bet presently have the same guarantee starting from the current opening time of 9.00am, so the only change is to move in line with the new Morning Line start time. Generally this will be 8.00am for Saturday mornings but will move depending on Sky Bet daily telephone opening times and Channel 4 Morning Line start times.
Nick Rust, Sky Bet Managing Director, said "As market leaders in Interactive TV betting, we like to set the standards that others follow. Sky Bet customers will now not only have the normal 15 minutes "Pricewise" guarantee when betting by telephone, but a full 50-minute price-hold guarantee for our Racing Post "Pricewise" prices when betting through the Red Button on your Sky remote. Our prices will be available from 8.00am and be guaranteed on interactive TV for the duration of Channel 4's Morning Line show."
He continued: "This offer will hopefully reach those racing fans who have yet to try interactive TV betting, incentivising them to press the red button for the first time. Sky Bet now offers "Red Button betting" on all Sky Sports channels, Channel 4 and At The Races, making it easy for people to bet alongside all the live action."
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