Thursday, November 19, 2009

NEPTUNE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT BACK £50,000 HANDICAP CHASE AT CHELTENHAM ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11

The Neptune Investment Management Handicap Chase is the highlight of a seven-race programme and was won last year by Mon Mome, who subsequently landed a memorable 100/1 success in the John Smith’s Grand National.

First run in 1963, the contest boasts an impressive roll of honour with the likes of The Dikler, Rubstic, Diamond Edge, Brown Chamberlin, Flashing Steel, Marlborough and Kingscliff all having triumphed.

Georgina Pardoe, Marketing Director at Neptune Investment Management, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are to be the sponsor of the prestigious Listed Neptune Investment Management Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Friday, December 11, 2009.

“As the feature race on the Friday of the December meeting, and one in which Mon Mome was winner last year and who subsequently was the 100/1 victor of the Grand National, we are looking forward to an exciting field of top class handicap chasers.

“This agreement with Cheltenham, the home of Jump racing, represents our first corporate sponsorship in horse racing and gives us the opportunity to support the sport, which directly or indirectly employs over 90,000 people, during a difficult year. As a new sponsor in racing, we have been impressed by the enthusiasm and professionalism offered by the team at Cheltenham.”


Neptune was founded in 2002 as an independent and privately owned investment management company, built upon principles of teamwork and partnership. Approximately three quarters of the company is owned by its employees and directors, ensuring the interests of staff and clients are properly aligned.

One horse which could be aimed at the Neptune Investment Management Handicap Chase is According To Pete, who was last seen out when taking fifth in the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 14.

His trainer Malcolm Jefferson reported today: “We’ll have to have a look at things but if he were to go to Cheltenham in December, his most likely target would be the Neptune Investment Management Handicap Chase.

“He’s fine after the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He ran well and jumped well, so now we’ll just sit down and consider his options.”

The two-day two day Boylesports International takes place at Cheltenham on Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12. Saturday’s two principal contests are the £150,000 Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup, a handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs and the £150,000 Grade Two Boylesports.com International, a leading trail for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

KAUTO HEADS FIELD OF NINE FOR BETFAIR CHASE - KING SAYS CONDITIONS WILL SUIT HALCON GENELARDAIS

Owned by Clive Smith and trained by Paul Nicholls, Kauto Star won his first Betfair Chase by 17 lengths in 2006 under Ruby Walsh and added a second victory 12 months later, with Sam Thomas in plate, when he defeated Exotic Dancer by half a length. Last year, when attempting the hat-trick he unseated Sam Thomas at the last. The nine-year-old, who has also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and King George VI Chase three times, will be reunited with Ruby Walsh on Saturday.

Halcon Genelardais is set to make his seasonal reappearance in the Betfair Chase. Trained by Alan King, the nine-year-old has been very consistent over the past few seasons and enjoyed his greatest success in the 2006 Welsh National while he finished fourth in the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He is also a winner at Haydock Park, having taken the valuable Betfair Handicap Hurdle at this meeting in 2006.

Alan King reported this morning: “Halcon Genelardais seems fine at the moment. We are going to Haydock because of the ground - I am hoping that the going will slow some of the other horses up!

“I don’t envisage him winning the Betfair Chase but there is a lot of prize-money on offer and I am hopeful that he can run well. We can’t have any real pretensions of beating a horse like Kauto Star but it looks like the testing conditions will probably suit us more than some of the other runners.

“The aim is to go for the Welsh National with him after this race and it gives us a nice bit of time between the two races. He has done enough work at home - he usually comes to hand quite quickly - and our horses are coming into form now. I would be more worried about the opposition than I would about him needing the run.”

Also among Kauto Star’s eight rivals on Saturday is the David Pipe-trained Madison Du Berlais, last season’s Hennessy Gold Cup winner and also successful in Grade Two contests at Kempton and Aintree last term.

Imperial Commander showed very progressive form last season with victories at Cheltenham in the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Grade One Ryanair Chase and is set to represent the in-form Nigel Twiston-Davies stable.

The Irish are still seeking a first victory in the Betfair Chase but look to have a very live contender this year with Notre Pere. Trained by Jim Dreaper, the imposing chaser has recorded victories in the Welsh National and the Grade One Punchestown Gold Cup. He looks sure to be suited by the likely conditions on Saturday.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls also runs Nozic, a Grade Three victor at Wetherby last season, while Rambling Minster, successful in the three and a half mile Blue Square Gold Cup at Haydock Park, is set to make his first appearance since pulling up when well-supported for the John Smith’s Grand National in April.

Completing the line-up on Saturday are The Sawyer, a Grade Three victor at Cheltenham last season, and Seymour Weld.

Final declarations were also made today for the £100,000 Listed Timeform Betfair Racing Club "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle Race (2.20pm), with 17 horses standing their ground.

The weights are headed by Diamond Harry, successful in the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury last season, while previous Cheltenham Festival winners Kayf Aramis, Oscar Park and Naiad Du Misselot also line up. Trainer Malcolm Jefferson, successful last year with According To Pete, is represented this time around by the progressive novice McMurrough.

The going at Haydock Park is currently SOFT, HEAVY IN PLACES

Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright said: “It’s very blustery at the moment and we had three millimetres of rain on Wednesday night.

“We are expecting to get around 15 millimetres between Thursday morning and Friday night. Saturday might see a further 10 millimetres and we are confident that we can deal with that amount.”

THE BETFAIR CHASE
Class 1, Grade 1, £200,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.55pm, Haydock Park, Saturday, November 21, 2009. For five-year-olds and upwards, three miles. Weights 11st 7lb, mares allowance 7lb. Entries closed November 3, entries revealed November 4 (26 entries), five-day confirmation & £10,000 supplementary stage November 16 (13 remained), final declaration stage 10.00am, November 19 (9 declarations). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) 42/232P- HALCON GENELARDAIS (FR) 9-11-07 Ian Payne & Kim Franklin Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson
2) 14/161-P IMPERIAL COMMANDER (IRE) 8-11-07 Our Friends in the North Nigel Twiston-Davies/Paddy Brennan
3) 22/1U11- KAUTO STAR (FR) 9-11-07 Clive Smith Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh
4) F/61101- MADISON DU BERLAIS (FR) 8-11-07 Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds II David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
5) P/4112-1F NOTRE PERE (FR) 8-11-07 Tillie Conway Jim Dreaper IRE/Andrew Lynch
6) 2//U1P00- NOZIC (FR) 8-11-07 Sam McVie Paul Nicholls/Harry Skelton
7) 56511P- RAMBLING MINSTER 11-11-07 The Lingdale Optimists Keith Reveley/James Reveley
8) 0111-FP SEYMOUR WELD 9-11-07 Charles Pogson Douglas Pryde Charles Pogson/Adam Pogson
9) 545F-262 THE SAWYER (BEL) 9-11-07 D R Fear Bob Buckler/Rhys Flint

9 declarations
1 Irish-trained

Betfair Chase – Timeform Ratings (weight-adjusted)
KAUTO STAR - 198
MADISON DU BERLAIS - 184
NOTRE PERE - 181
IMPERIAL COMMANDER - 179
HALCON GENELARDAIS - 179
NOZIC - 171
RAMBLING MINSTER - 164
THE SAWYER - 148
SEYMOUR WELD - 143

Timeform spokesman Kieran Packman commented: “Kauto Star is the outstanding chaser of his generation and, though he wasn’t at his best when slithering on landing at the last here twelve months ago, that was his second outing of the month whereas he comes here fresh.

“He’s unbeaten on soft going in Britain when completing without mishap and there’s little to suggest he won’t be as good as ever this year. He is a stone ahead of Madison Du Berlais on ratings and if he’s anywhere near the top of his game he should prove very difficult to beat.”

To win the Betfair Chase – Betfair bet: 5-4 Kauto Star, 23-10 Notre Pere, 8-1 Imperial Commander, 17-2 Madison Du Berlais, 14-1 Halcon Genelardias, 64-1 Nozic, 109-1 Rambling Minster, 249-1 The Sawyer, 449-1 Seymour Weld.

Final declarations for the other five races on Haydock’s card and day two of the Northwest Racing Masters at Aintree on Sunday, November 22, will be made tomorrow.

About the Northwest Racing Masters

A superb seven-race card on the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters at Haydock Park on Saturday, November 21 is headed by the Betfair Chase, now in its fifth year and won by the great Kauto Star in 2006 and 2007. Day one also includes the £100,000 Listed Timeform Betfair Racing Club "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle and the £50,000 Tune Into Timeform Radio Hurdle.

The second day of the Northwest Racing Masters at Aintree on Sunday, November 22, features two excellent contests over the world-famous Grand National course among six races, the totesport.com Becher Chase and the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Chase.

Tickets for both days can be booked online at www.aintree.co.uk and www.haydock-park.co.uk

The Northwest Racing Masters, from the first running in 2005, has established itself as an event, giving racegoers the opportunity of experiencing two different historic courses within a short journey of each other. Haydock Park is between Manchester and Liverpool, close to St Helens, Wigan and Warrington. Aintree is on the northern edge of Liverpool.

The two racecourses are easily accessible by motorway, with Haydock Pak within a mile of the M6 off junction 23 and Aintree close to the end of both the M57 and M58. Both courses boast superb facilities and are ideal for a day out. The whole family can come, with accompanied children aged 16 and under admitted FREE OF CHARGE.

Why not make a weekend of it and enjoy what the region has to offer….

http://www.visitsthelens.com/
http://www.visitsouthport.com/
http://www.visitliverpool.com/

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