Thursday, November 12, 2009

MAXIMUM FIELD OF 20 FOR PADDY POWER GOLD CUP

There is a new favourite with sponsor Paddy Power for the extended two and a half mile handicap chase with the Edward O’Grady-trained Tranquil Sea now heading the market at 6/1. The seven-year-old, a Grade Three winner at Naas on October 31, will be bidding to become the first Irish-trained victor since Bright Highway in 1980. There is one other declaration from Ireland, the Tony Martin-trained Northern Alliance, a 10/1 chance with Paddy Power.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is one of the few major prizes to have eluded champion trainer Paul Nicholls but the Ditcheat handler is set to launch a three-pronged attack on Saturday’s contest with Chapoturgeon, the 7/1 second favourite, Poquelin (8/1) and Tatenen (8/1). All three of the Nicholls contenders boast winning form at Cheltenham.

Nigel Twiston-Davies is the most successful current trainer in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, thanks to the victories of Tipping Tim (1992) and Imperial Commander (2008). He has two runners this year in Ballyfitz (10/1), who has come in for recent support, and Knowhere (33/1), who finished third behind L’Antartique two years ago.

Heading the weights on 11st 12lb is Our Vic (33/1), winner of the 2005 Paddy Power Gold Cup and one of two runners from the David Pipe stable along with I’m So Lucky (20/1).

No other current jockey can match the record of 14-times champion Tony McCoy, who has four previous Paddy Power Gold Cup successes to his name. This year McCoy partners the Nicky Henderson-trained mare My Petra (10/1), a Grade Two winner at Ascot last season and runner-up in the 2008 Grade Three Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase at The Festival.

Alan King’s runners are always to be respected at Cheltenham and this year he runs 9/1 chance Tarotino, winner of his last three starts although not seen out since scoring at Bangor in May.

Local Slad handler runs Tartak (16/1) while the Malcolm Jefferson-trained According To Pete (16/1) is sure to appreciate the forecast rain.

Ferdy Murphy, successful with L’Antartique two years ago, runs Three Mirrors (40/1) while Il Duce (40/1), runner-up in 2007 and fourth last year when trained by Alan King, is set to make his first appearance for new trainer Renee Robeson.

Philip Hobbs runs From Dawn To Dusk (20/1), twice successful over hurdles at Cheltenham, while the field is completed by Bible Lord (20/1), a winner on his reappearance at Wetherby last month, Pop (33/1), Leslingtaylor (33/1) and Hold Em (33/1).

THE PADDY POWER GOLD CUP
Class 1, Grade 3, £150,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.35pm, Cheltenham, Saturday, November 14, 2009. For four year olds and upwards, two miles, four and a half furlongs. Penalties: after October 31, a winner of a chase 5lb. No penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 27, entries revealed October 28 (49 entries), weights revealed November 4, five-day confirmation stage November 9 (26 remained), final declaration stage 10.00am, November 12 (20 declarations, plus 2 reserves). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Wednesday, November 11. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) 211/PP4- OUR VIC (IRE) b11-11-12 David Johnson David Pipe/Danny Cook (3)
2) 32151-0 TARTAK (FR) 6-11-05 Power Panels Electrical Systems Ltd Tom George/Sam Thomas
3) P/100P-3 KNOWHERE (IRE) 11-11-05 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Molloy (5)
4) F211F2- CHAPOTURGEON (FR) 5-11-04 David Johnson Paul Nicholls/Timmy Murphy
5) 11300-1 POQUELIN (FR) 6-11-01 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh
6) 112F2-5 TATENEN (FR) t5-11-00 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls/Christian Williams
7) 1/1556-21 TRANQUIL SEA (IRE) 7-10-13 Nelius Hayes/D Cox Edward O'Grady IRE/Andrew McNamara
8) F34-041 NORTHERN ALLIANCE (IRE) 8-10-12 Irish Rover Syndicate Tony Martin IRE/Paul Carberry
9) 2/1122P- BALLYFITZ 9-10-11 F J Mills & W Mills Nigel Twiston-Davies/Paddy Brennan
10) 23P11-1 TAROTINO (FR) 7-10-10 J B Webb Alan King/Robert Thornton
11) PP2/P40- IL DUCE (IRE) b9-10-10 Mrs Peter Prowting Renee Robeson/Sam James (3)
12) 0/112FP-P MY PETRA 6-10-10 Richard & Lizzie Kelvin Hughes Nicky Henderson/Tony McCoy
13) 0/306FF-1 BIBLE LORD (IRE) 8-10-08 M Tedham Andrew Turnell/Nick Scholfield
14) 5/11114- ACCORDING TO PETE 8-10-07 P Nelson Malcolm Jefferson/Phil Kinsella
15) 112500- I'M SO LUCKY t7-10-04 Sheila Brookhouse David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
16) 1231FP- POP (FR) 6-10-03 Robert Kirkland Henry Daly/Andrew Tinkler
17) 564P-46 THREE MIRRORS 9-10-01 Sean J Murphy Ferdy Murphy/Aidan Coleman
18) 144-044 LESLINGTAYLOR (IRE) 7-10-01 Marie Taylor John Quinn/Dougie Costella
19) 2/31/21-3 FROM DAWN TO DUSK t10-10-01 C G M Lloyd-Baker Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson
20) 1-06P035 HOLD EM (IRE) t,p7-10-00 David Hughes Mike Evans and Partners Keith Goldsworthy/Jamie Moore

R1) 141P-25 WATCH MY BACK 8-10-00 Tony Ambler Ferdy Murphy/Graham Lee
R2) P6100-0 ISLAND LIFE (IRE) p6-10-00 Miss L Wallace John O'Shea/C Wallis (7)
Eliminated: COMMEMORATION DAY (IRE)

20 declared, plus 2 reserves
2 Irish-trained

Latest prices from Paddy Power
6-1 Tranquil Sea, 7 Chapoturgeon, 8 Poquelin, Tatenen, 9 Tarotino, 10 Ballyfitz, My Petra, Northern Alliance, 16 According To Pete, Tartak, 20 Bible Lord, From Dawn To Dusk, Im So Lucky, Watch My Back, 33 Hold Em, Knowhere, Leslingtaylor, Our Vic, Pop, 40 Il Duce, Three Mirrors, 66 Island Life
ELLIOTT HOPING THE GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE HAS A SILVER LINING

Tomorrow, Friday, November 13, is the first day of The Open and featuring on the six-race card is the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.00pm) and 12 horses have been declared for the unique spectacle, run over three miles and seven furlongs of Cheltenham’s unique Cross Country Course.

Irish horses have dominated the race in recent times, winning the past five renewals, and a strong challenge Irish-trained contingent of five tomorrow includes the Enda Bolger-trained Garde Champetre, who has taken the past two runnings of the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase Cross Country Chase at The Festival and was second to Dix Villez at The Open 12 months ago.

Bolger, who saddled Spotthedifference to four successive victories in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase between 2004 and 2007, will also be represented by Heads Onthe Ground, successful in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase Cross Country Chase at The Festival in 2007.

Silver Birch was runner-up in that race and the Gordon Elliott-trained chaser enjoyed the biggest success of his career on his subsequent start when triumphing in the Grand National at Aintree the following month.

The 12-year-old fell when going well at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit in the world-famous steeplechase last season, and ended last term with a fine second to Garde Champetre in the La Touche Cup over Punchestown’s banks course.

Co Meath-based Elliott reported: “Silver Birch goes to Cheltenham in good form and he looks fit and well at the moment. We would have been happier if we could have got a run into him before this race but unfortunately the point-to-point meeting at Lingstown at the start of the month was called off.

“Having said that, he is fit enough to do himself justice and he seems to still be enjoying his racing. We will be aiming him at the Grand National once again - he was running a blinder in the race last year prior to falling.

“He has run well over the Cross Country Course at Cheltenham before and I am looking forward to seeing how he gets on at The Open.”

The two other Irish-trained entries in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase are the 2007 runner-up Casadei, from the Co Meath stable of Tom McCourt, and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Sizing Australia, who chased home Albertas Run in a novice chase at The Open in 2007.

A truly international field also includes Lights Out, successful in the 2008 Swedish National for trainer Dennis Persson, and Czech raiders Marath, representing Pavel Kinsky, and the Jaromir Hrudka-trained Lirain, who both contested this year’s Velka Pardubicka.

The home contingent includes the Charlie Mann-trained Mr Big, who was down the field in the Velka Pardubicka on his latest start, multiple Fontwell scorer Soleil Fix, from the yard of Nick Gifford, and Openide, runner-up in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2008 for trainer Brendan Duke. The field is completed by the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Rimsky, who landed a Grade Two novice hurdle at Chepstow in October, 2005.

A field of nine has been declared for the two-mile £40,000 paddypower.com Handicap Chase and the weights are headed by the James Fanshawe-trained Song Of Songs, who scored in novice chases at Leicester and Sandown last term before falling on his latest start in the Grade One Maghull Novice’ Chase at Aintree in April.

Other notable contenders include recent Aintree scorer Tramantano, representing Nigel Twiston-Davies, the Nicky Henderson-trained French Opera, who was second in the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton last December, and Consigliere, who triumphed on four of his six starts last season for David Pipe.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Hoopy will be aiming for a second successive victory in the extended three-mile £20,000 Irish Times Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (1.15pm), for which 17 horses have been declared, while a field of eight is set to line up in the £30,000 Grade Two Sharp Novices’ Hurdle (1.50pm), run over an extended two miles.

A maximum 24 runners have been declared for the two mile, five furlong, £10,000 RBC Wealth Management Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (3.35pm), while the David Pipe-trained Ashkazar, who made an impressive winning debut over fences at Stratford at the end of October, is set to take on six rivals in the extended two and a half-mile £20,000 Steel Plate And Sections Novices’ Chase (4.05pm).

LATEST GOING

The going at Cheltenham is currently:

Chase & Hurdle Course: GOOD TO SOFT, GOOD IN PLACES

Cross Country Course: GOOD, GOOD TO FIRM IN PLACES

There were four millimetres of rain overnight. The forecast is for a further heavy band of rain today while Friday morning should be dry. Friday afternoon and into Saturday morning could bring up to 20 millimetres of rain. Drier conditions are forecast for Sunday.

GREATEST YEAR FOR EUROPEAN RACING EVER SINCE THE CARTIER RACING AWARDS WERE LAUNCHED?

There is even greater expectation than usual because the racing in Europe this year has been arguably the best since the Cartier Racing Awards started out in 1991.

European horseracing’s equivalent of the Oscars will be presented during a glittering ceremony before an invited audience at Claridge’s Hotel in London on Tuesday, November 17.

The Cartier Racing Awards are now in their 19th year and celebrate eight champions of the Turf, plus one person who will receive the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit.

The highly-coveted horse awards are determined by points earned in Pattern races combined with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists headed by Brough Scott plus votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph, a system which over the years has accurately rewarded supreme excellence.

The horse categories are Cartier Horse Of The Year; Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt, Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly, Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly; Cartier Stayer, Cartier Sprinter and Cartier Older Horse.

Sea The Stars sensationally was unbeaten in six Group One races in Europe this year, with the first two of those successes coming in Classics - the stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas, the Investec Derby, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, the Juddmonte International, the Tattersalls Million Irish Champion Stakes and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He was acclaimed as the best horse seen in Europe for at least 30 years.

But it has been by no means a one-horse year, emphasised by the record level of European success - six wins - at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held at Santa Anita Park, California, on November 6 and 7.

These victories came from Man Of Iron (Breeders’ Cup Marathon), Midday (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf), Pounced (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf), Vale Of York (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile), Goldikova (Breeders’ Cup Mile for the second successive year) and Conduit (Breeders’ Cup Turf for the second successive year).

Harry Herbert, Cartier’s Racing Consultant, commented: “We have enjoyed a quality of racing seldom seen, with Sea The Stars leading the pack, and the 2009 Cartier Racing Awards will reflect this.”

The Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit is for the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 18-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.

The list of past winners of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit is as follows; HM The Queen, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Niarchos Family, Peter Willett, Henry Cecil, David & Patricia Thompson, Lord Oaksey, Prince Khalid Abdullah, John Magnier, His Highness The Aga Khan, Peter Walwyn, the Head Family, Sir Peter O'Sullevan, Frankie Dettori, John Dunlop, the Marquess of Hartington, Francois Boutin, Lester Piggott and Henri Chalhoub.

The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to recognise supreme excellence in the racehorse.

RECORD AUDIENCES TUNE INTO BREEDERS’ CUP ON ATR

ATR’s 2009 Breeders’ Cup broadcast featured live race coverage from Santa Anita anchored by a London based studio presentation. Presenters Sean Boyce and Matt Chapman were joined by expert guests Jason Weaver and Stephen Millar with regular links to paddock and US course presentation in a format that proved highly popular with viewers.

At The Races’ peak quarter hour audience on Saturday evening was 114, 558 individuals - recorded from 9.30pm as French filly Goldikova stormed to victory in the TVG-sponsored Mile race. By comparison, Racing UK recorded a peak quarter hour audience of 12, 581, according to official BARB figures, at 11.15pm shortly after Ryan Moore led Conduit to success in the Emirates Airline Turf race.

The 26th Breeders’ Cup saw attheraces.com record its highest ever number of page views for a single day. The 4.89 million pages viewed on Saturday eclipsed the 4.84 million viewed on World Hurdle Day at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The Santa Anita showpiece helped attheraces.com reach a total of 651,000 unique users for the 31 days Oct 8th – Nov 7th 2009.

Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, At The Races said:

“We are naturally delighted with the audience figures recorded by the channel and the website for this year’s Breeders’ Cup. The numbers are testament to another exceptionally strong representation from Europe and to the continued popularity and success of the event. Our congratulations go to connections of all the European winners.”

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