GERAGHTY & O’REGAN TALK ABOUT EXOTIC DANCER AND BEEF OR SALMON
The £200,000 Grade One Betfair Chase (2.05pm), the highlight at Haydock Park on Saturday, November 24, day one of the Northwest Racing Masters, promises to be the highest-class jump race ever run at the course with seven superb contenders going forward at today’s 48-hour declaration stage.
The seven starters for the three-mile event have won a total of 20 Grade One events between them and over £3.25 million in prize money.
Timeform spokesman Kieran Packman commented: “The Betfair Chase is a fantastic race to look forward to, with Timeform’s two top-rated staying chasers in Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer and a most exciting prospect in My Way de Solzen.
“There may be less runners than have taken part in recent Gold Cups, but the quality on show in the race at Haydock on Saturday is on a par with recent Blue Ribands.”
Heading the seven declarations is Kauto Star, successful in the 2006 Betfair Chase before going on to collect the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the totesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham, landing the Betfair Million in the process. He made a return to action at Aintree on October 28 when going down by a length and a half to Monet’s Garden, who was receiving 14lb, in the bonunsprint.com Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase. Sam Thomas takes the ride on Kauto Star, with regular partner Ruby Walsh currently sidelined with injury.
Exotic Dancer was one of the most improved chasers of last season and filled the runner-up spot behind Kauto Star twice in the King George and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. He finished third in the bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase at Aintree on his seasonal debut and will be ridden by Barry Geraghty for the first time on Saturday.
Geraghty, who partnered totesport Gold Cup hero Kicking King to finish third behind Kingscliff in the inaugural running of the Betfair Chase in 2005, is looking forward to acquainting himself with the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Exotic Dancer.
The Irish rider revealed today: “For sure, I’m looking forward to riding Exotic Dancer. He’s a class horse and naturally I’m hoping for a big run on Saturday.
“Everything was organised through my agent, so I haven’t spoken to Jonjo or anybody yet. I haven’t sat on Exotic Dancer and I wouldn’t think that I will before Saturday.
“Haydock is a track that I like to ride. I won the Tommy Whittle Chase on Jonjo’s big horse Keen Leader four years ago, and a novice chase for Nicky Henderson on Caracciola, so it has been a lucky enough place for me.”
Geraghty is also booked to ride Burntoakboy, successful in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham last season, in the £100,000 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (1.35pm) over an extended two miles and seven furlongs.
Irish raider Beef Or Salmon has won a total of 10 Grade One chases during his glittering career, including the prestigious Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown four times, and finished second in the first two runnings of the Betfair Chase, finding Kingscliff a length and a quarter too strong in 2005 and going down by 17 lengths to Kauto Star last year.
Jockey Denis O’Regan is honoured to have been given the leg up for the first time on Beef Or Salmon.
The rider said: “I haven’t sat on the horse before but it’s an honour to be riding him.
“He’s been second in the Betfair Chase the past two years, he’s a class act and I’m delighted to be riding him. Hopefully, all goes well with a bit of luck in running.”
O’Regan moved to England six weeks ago as stable jockey to County Durham handler Howard Johnson, basing himself in Ingleby Barwick, North Yorkshire.
The rider has partnered nine winners from 80 starts for Beef Or Salmon’s trainer Michael Hourigan in the past five years, including a high-profile success at Cheltenham in November, 2005.
O’Regan continued: “I’ve ridden a bit for Michael Hourigan over the last few years and two years ago I rode Church Island to win at the Paddy Power meeting for him and the owner.
“I moved over to England about six weeks ago and it’s good to be getting nice horses to ride, but they still have to be ridden.”
My Way de Solzen is a very exciting young chaser, having taken the Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Trophy over two miles at The Festival last season while he was a high-class stayer over hurdles with a victory in the 2006 Ladbrokes World Hurdle, also at Cheltenham. The Betfair Chase will see My Way de Solzen take on seasoned opposition for the first time over fences.
Another novice from last season is Offshore Account, trained in Ireland by Charlie Swan. The seven-year-old has won on his last four starts, including a Grade One event at Punchestown in April on his latest outing.
Turpin Green belied his 40/1 starting price to finish third in the 2007 totesport Gold Cup Cheltenham, when only beaten five lengths. Owned by one of Haydock Park’s biggest supporters, Trevor Hemmings, and trained by Nicky Richards, Turpin Green ran a good race under top weight in last season’s Peter Marsh Chase over the course and distance when going down by 12 lengths to The Outlier (in receipt of 21lb).
Ollie Magern, winner of the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton as a novice, finished fourth behind Kauto Star in the 2006 Betfair Chase and looked right back to his best when taking the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his seasonal reappearance earlier this month.
Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said: “To say that we are delighted with the class of the seven-runner field is an understatement - mainly because the highly competitive nature of the race makes it a touch less likely that Kauto Star will win the race, and again go on to take a million pounds off us!
“On a more serious note, the fact that the first three home in last year’s Gold Cup and the three of the first four in our Cheltenham betting are running is superb news. Not just for the stature of the race, and the Haydock executive, but for National Hunt fans at the track on Saturday and those watching on BBC and RUK.
“It is refreshing to see the big guns willing to clash so early in the campaign. How many other races in the calendar would see a horse with the class and potential of Offshore Account, an 11-length winner of a Grade One race at Punchestown last time out, be the likely outsider of a seven-runner field? My guess is none.”
GROUND
The ground at Haydock is currently GOOD TO SOFT, and Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright is anticipating little change before Saturday’s meeting.
He said: “We had three millimetres of rain overnight, with the possibility of some further showers throughout the week, so we might have good to soft ground, soft in places on Saturday.
“It doesn’t look like we will have any problems with the cold weather forecast.”
PHILLIPS HOPING JACK CAN PAK PUNCH IN totesport.com BECHER CHASE
Trainer Richard Phillips is hoping for a bold show from recent recruit Pak Jack in the £100,000 totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree on Sunday, November 25, the second day of the Northwest Racing Masters.
The seven-year-old has enjoyed his two previous starts over the Grand National fences, finishing third to Liberthine in the John Smith’s And Spar Topham Chase in 2006 before chasing home Scots Grey in last season’s John Smith’s Foxhunters’ Chase.
Pak Jack was bought in the summer by the Bellflower Racing Syndicate as a potential John Smith’s Grand National horse, and the Adlestrop-based handler is happy with the gelding’s progress so far.
Phillips said: “I’m pleased with him. We bought him with the intention to run him over the Aintree fences, as they seem to bring out the best in him. He’s a lovely horse, and we hope he’ll improve with a step up in trip, so we will find out a bit more on Sunday.
“The John Smith’s Grand National is the target, but because he’s rated 130 over fences we need his mark to go up a bit, so we are hoping for a good run in the totesport.com Becher Chase.
“We ideally want goodish ground on Sunday, but he has some form over hurdles on softish ground in France. Richard Johnson, who will ride on Sunday, schooled Pak Jack this morning and he jumped well.”
Pak Jack, currently rated as a 16/1 chance by sponsors totesport, finished second to Exotic Dancer twice as a juvenile hurdler in France, and chased home Iron Man on his latest start in the George Jones Memorial Handicap Chase at Stratford in May.
7 LEADING MAN
8 BEWLEYS BERRY
8 MR POINTMENT
10 DUNBRODY MILLAR
10 I HEAR THUNDER
12 KANDJAR D'ALLIER
14 A NEW STORY
14 AKA JAKE
14 ALRIGHT NOW M'LAD
14 IRISH RAPTOR
14 KING KILLONE
14 LE DUC
16 BRIERY FOX
16 GARVIVONNIAN
16 PAK JACK
16 PARKINSON
16 ROYAL AUCLAIR
20 BANNISTER LANE
20 IRON MAN
20 SILVER JACK
20 THE OUTLIER
25 FINZI
25 LANKAWI
33 BALLYCASSIDY
33 TOMMY SPAR
50 HIGH COTTON
50 SYBELLIUS D'ARTAIX
100 BLACK SMOKE
EACH WAY 1/4 THE ODDS A PLACE 1-2-3-4. ALL QUOTED. ANTEPOST RULES APPLY.
SPECIAL BET: 20/1 any horse to win the totesport.com Becher Chase and go on to win the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National.
LEADING ROOT VEGETABLE GROWERS & PACKERS ALBERT BARTLETT REVEALED AS SPONSOR OF THREE-MILE NOVICES’ HURDLE PATTERN
Cheltenham today announced that Albert Bartlett, the UK’s largest grower of root vegetables, will be sponsoring the Three-Mile Novices’ Hurdle Pattern, a four-race series which culminates in the newly promoted Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival, won in the last two years by Wichita Lineman and Black Jack Ketchum.
A family business for more than 50 years, Albert Bartlett now supplies over 500,000 tonnes of fresh produce each year to the retail, food service, wholesale and processing industries. The company provides the nation with one in six of its fresh potatoes, carrots, onions and parsnips.
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Pattern Series features televised three-mile events at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 15, Doncaster on Saturday, January 26, Haydock Park on Saturday, February 17 and at The Festival on Friday, March 14.
John Hicks, Bartlett’s Head of Marketing, said today: "I am delighted that Albert Bartlett is to be involved in such a high-profile series of races and particularly that we are to become the sponsor of a new Grade One race at The Festival.
"We have had an involvement with race sponsorship for a number of years but, with ambitious plans for the company, we felt that now was the right time to raise our profile significantly."
In addition to the race sponsorship, Albert Bartlett will also be providing racegoers at The Festival with the chance to taste their produce, by providing caterers at the course with vegetables to include in the menus on each raceday.
Cheltenham’s Director of Sponsorship, Peter McNeile, commented: "Albert Bartlett is a solid and increasingly successful British company and this sponsorship is an excellent way for Albert Bartlett to increase their brand and product awareness."
CHAMPION JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS UNITE FOR SIR PETER O’SULLEVAN - UNIQUE SIGNED PHOTOGRAPHS NOW ON SALE
During the Spring and Summer of 2007, living Champion Jockeys and Champion Trainers of British Flat and National Hunt Racing came together for a very special collection of photographs.
Shot at Ascot racecourse by Royal and Society Photographer, Ian Jones, four photographs featuring the Champions of British racing are now being released as reproduced signature prints and as a very special, limited edition series of 100 original signature prints. These one-off pieces of racing memorabilia can be purchased either individually or as a complete set with reproduced prints costing £99 each and £300 for the set. Limited edition, original signature prints are available at £1,250 each and £4,000 per set.
All proceeds from the sale will go to Peter O’Sullevan’s Charitable Trust which provides invaluable support in equal measure to The Blue Cross, The Brooke, Compassion in World Farming, The International League for the Protection of Horses, Racing Welfare and The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre
Those wishing to own a piece of racing history and help our Champions support a very special cause can find out more and order online at attheraces.com/champions or call 01580 883842. Orders received now will be despatched in time for delivery before Christmas.
Sir Peter O’Sullevan:
"It has been wonderful seeing so many great Champions, and great friends, at Ascot over the course of this year. I am extremely grateful to At The Races and to all of the Champions for giving their time and effort to help this fantastic project come to fruition. The end result is four superb looking prints which I hope will prove highly desirable to racing enthusiasts and will certainly help us to provide much needed funds for our very worthwhile causes."
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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