Monday, November 9, 2009

TRANQUIL SEA IS A “LIKELY” PADDY POWER GOLD CUP RUNNER

Bright Highway in 1980 was the last Irish-trained winner of the extended two and a half-mile contest and the Ballynonty handler is leaning towards the prestigious prize at The Open on Saturday, November 14, rather than the Clonmel Oil Chase two days earlier.

Tranquil Sea, a Grade One winner over hurdles, warmed up for his Cheltenham assignment with an impressive victory in the two-mile Grade Three Poplar Square Chase at Naas on October 31. That success has seen his odds for Saturday’s feature shorten to 7/1 from 12/1 with sponsor Paddy Power.

The Sea Raven gelding appeared at The Festival in March when he was sixth to current 6/1 joint-favourite Chapoturgeon in the Listed Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase over two miles, five furlongs.

O’Grady has never before had a representative in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but he did saddle Go Roger Go to win what is now the Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup in 2000.

O’Grady revealed today: “It is likely that Tranquil Sea will go to the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

“We were delighted with his win at Naas last time. He has only won twice over fences so I would have to say that was his best run, and, being a seven-year-old, I think it would be normal to expect some improvement from him.

“He is well and we are looking forward to a nice run. He has been around Cheltenham before so that would not be a concern.”

The David Pipe-trained Our Vic heads the weights with 11st 12lb after 26 horses stood their ground at today’s five-day confirmation stage. The 11-year-old landed the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2005.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Poquelin shares favouritism with stablemate Chapoturgeon, while Tarotino, trained by Alan King, is another well-fancied contender at 7/1 with the sponsor.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the feature race of The Open, which takes place over three days at Cheltenham from Friday, November 13, to Sunday, November 15.

Latest Paddy Power prices: Poquelin 6/1 , Chapoturgeon 6/1, Tarotino 7/1, Tranquil Sea 7/1, My Petra 9/1, Northern Alliance 10/1, Tatenen 10/1, From Dawn To Dusk 16/1, Watch My Back 16/1, Ballyfitz 16/1, Bible Lord 16/1, Tartak 20/1, Akilak 20/1, Hold Em 25/1, According To Pete 25/1, I'm So Lucky 25/1, Three Mirrors 25/1, Jaamid 25/1, Our Vic 28/1, Il Duce 28/1, Pop 28/1, Gaelic Flight 28/1, Knowhere 33/1, Leslingtaylor 33/1, Commemoration Day 40/1, Island Life 40/1

Saturday’s card features quality supporting action. The second-richest race of the day is the £55,000 Servo Trophy Handicap Chase over an extended three miles and three furlongs. Among the 22 entries for this contest are the progressive Russian Trigger from the Victor Dartnall yard, last seen out when winning the Midlands National at Uttoxeter in March, and Cheltenham regular Maljimar, runner-up in the Grade Three William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase at The Festival in March and second on his seasonal reappearance in the sportingbet.com Handicap Chase at The Showcase on October 16.

The six-race programme on Saturday gets underway at 12.50pm with the £30,000 Grade Two Prestbury Novices’ Hurdle, which has attracted 13 entries including Barizan from the Evan Williams yard who has won his last four starts including a course and distance success at The Showcase on October 16. Saturday’s card also features the £20,000 Ultima Frontrunner In IT Solutions Novices’ Chase (1.25pm, 17 entries), the £30,000 Listed Jardine Lloyd Thompson Handicap Hurdle (3.10pm, 30 entries) and the £10,000 Ultima Business Solutions Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (3.45pm, .38 entries).

A total of 28 horses remain at the six-day confirmation stage for Sunday’s highlight, the £100,000 Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle (2.20pm).

The exciting four-year-old Starluck, trained by Alan Fleming, won the sportingbet.com Hurdle over the course and distance at The Showcase and now heads the weights on 11st 12lb.

Alan King is set to saddle last season’s Grade One williamhill.com Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Medermit and Squadron, while the Joanna Morgan-trained Raise Your Heart heads to Cheltenham after a fine Flat win in Listed grade last time.

The Nick Williams-trained James De Vassy was impressive in a Chepstow Handicap Hurdle on October 10 and could bid to take the next step in his progression. El Dancer won a Grade Two at Aintree last term for trainer Lucy Wadham, while a high-class field also includes the Philip Hobbs-trained Nampour, Red Moloney from the Howard Johnson yard and the Pipe-trained Mamlook, runner-up in both the Grade Two Elite Hurdle and the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on his last two starts.

On Sunday, racing commences at 1.10pm with the £35,000 Grade Two The Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase over two miles, which often features some valuable early season pointers towards the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at The Festival. Among the 15 entries for this year’s renewal is the Emma Lavelle-trained Kangaroo Court, who could not have been more impressive when scoring at The Showcase last moth.

Also featuring on Sunday’s card is the £25,000 Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (2.55pm, 32 entries) and the £30,000 Grade Two Cleanevent Novices’ Hurdle (3.30pm, 15 entries). Sunday’s card concludes with the £16,000 Griffins Richard Davis Award Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (4.00pm, 21 entries), a race won a decade ago by the great Best Mate.

Sunday will also feature the inaugural running of the £50,000 Connaught Chase (1.45pm) over two miles. Entries for this contest have been re-opened until 11.00am tomorrow. Master Minded, winner of the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase for the past two seasons and Well Chief, the 2004 Irish Independent Arkle victor who chased home Master Minded at The Festival in 2009, are both expected to line up.

The Open gets underway with Countryside Day on Friday, November 13, featuring the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.00pm), run over Cheltenham’s unique Cross Country Course. This year’s renewal of the three mile, seven furlong event has attracted 18 entries, including three from the Enda Bolger stable, while there are also possible starters from Sweden and the Czech Republic. Friday’s richest event is the £40,000 paddypower.com Handicap Chase (2.25pm) over two miles which has 21 entries.

GROUND

The going at Cheltenham is currently:

Old course, Chase and Hurdle - GOOD, GOOD TO SOFT IN PLACES

Cross Country - GOOD, GOOD TO FIRM IN PLACES

The forecast is for an unsettled week.

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 remain), final declaration stage 10.00am, November 12. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, November 8. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer
211/PP4- OUR VIC (IRE) 11-11-12 David Johnson David Pipe
32151-0 TARTAK (FR) 6-11-05 Power Panels Electrical Systems Ltd Tom George
P/100P-3 KNOWHERE (IRE) 11-11-05 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies
F211F2- CHAPOTURGEON (FR) 5-11-04 David Johnson Paul Nicholls
11300-1 POQUELIN (FR) 6-11-01 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
112F2-5 TATENEN (FR) 5-11-00 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
1/1556-21 TRANQUIL SEA (IRE) 7-10-13 Nelius Hayes/D Cox Edward O'Grady IRE
F34-041 NORTHERN ALLIANCE (IRE) 8-10-12 Irish Rover Syndicate Tony Martin IRE
2/1122P- BALLYFITZ 9-10-11 F J Mills & W Mills Nigel Twiston-Davies
23P11-1 TAROTINO (FR) 7-10-10 J B Webb Alan King
PP2/P40- IL DUCE (IRE) 9-10-10 Mrs Peter Prowting Renee Robeson
0/112FP-P MY PETRA 6-10-10 Richard & Lizzie Kelvin Hughes Nicky Henderson
0/306FF-1 BIBLE LORD (IRE) 8-10-08 M Tedham Andrew Turnell
5/11114- ACCORDING TO PETE 8-10-07 P Nelson Malcolm Jefferson
112500- I'M SO LUCKY 7-10-04 Sheila Brookhouse David Pipe
1231FP- POP (FR) 6-10-03 Robert Kirkland Henry Daly
564P-46 THREE MIRRORS 9-10-01 Sean J Murphy Ferdy Murphy
144-044 LESLINGTAYLOR (IRE) 7-10-01 Marie Taylor John Quinn
2/31/21-3 FROM DAWN TO DUSK 10-10-01 C G M Lloyd-Baker Philip Hobbs
4/2120-6 AKILAK (IRE) 8-10-00 ADA Partnership Howard Johnson
3U1-250 JAAMID 7-9-13 Peter Law Noel Meade IRE
1-06P035 HOLD EM (IRE) 7-9-13 David Hughes Mike Evans and Partners Keith Goldsworthy
141P-25 WATCH MY BACK 8-9-11 Tony Ambler Ferdy Murphy
241522 GAELIC FLIGHT (IRE) 11-9-09 The Town & Country Partnership Jeremy Scott
6-260152 COMMEMORATION DAY (IRE) 8-9-08 Alan Bosley Gary Moore
P6100-0 ISLAND LIFE (IRE) 6-9-04 Miss L Wallace John O'Shea

26 confirmations
3 Irish-trained
THE GREATWOOD HANDICAP HURDLE
Class 1, Grade 3, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.20pm, Cheltenham, Sunday, November 15, 2009. For four year olds and upwards, two miles and a half furlong. Penalties, after October 31, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb; no penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 27, entries released October 28 (56 entries), weights revealed November 4, six-day confirmation stage November 9 (28 remain), final declaration stage 10.00am, November 13. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including Sunday, November 8. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer
11143-1 STARLUCK (IRE) 4-11-12 Andrew Wates Alan Fleming
3310-01 RAISE YOUR HEART (IRE) 6-11-11 Gaeltacht Gang Syndicate Joanna Morgan IRE
121125- MEDERMIT (FR) 5-11-11 The Dunkley & Reilly Partnership Alan King
6211-66 EL DANCER (GER) 5-11-10 Ron Davies Lucy Wadham
1323P1 MUTUAL FRIEND (USA) 5-11-09 Pond House Racing David Pipe
11160-2 RED MOLONEY (USA) 5-11-08 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
20500-5 KHYBER KIM 7-11-08 Caroline Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies
11430-3 SIMARIAN (IRE) 4-11-06 Peter Conway Evan Williams
0112-03 SECRET TUNE 5-11-04 R Davies Tom George
2145-51 NAMPOUR (FR) 4-11-03 Terry Warner Philip Hobbs
662-506 SILVERHAND (IRE) 5-11-02 Anna Foxe Noel Meade IRE
416010- CULCABOCK (IRE) 9-11-02 Elizabeth Ferguson Lucinda Russell
B06404-2 MAMLOOK (IRE) 5-11-00 Peter Deal & G Lowe David Pipe
512U6-2 EUROPEAN DREAM (IRE) 6-11-00 You Trotters Richard Guest
114002- ISSAQUAH (IRE) 7-10-13 Mr & Mrs J M Davenport Malcolm Jefferson
2145P4- SQUADRON 5-10-13 Tony Fisher & Mrs Jeni Fisher Alan King
211120- RONALDO DES MOTTES (FR) 4-10-13 K & D Ives David Pipe
2166-22 TRAMP STAMP (IRE) 5-10-13 J D Flood Matthieu Palussiere IRE
52-1223 GLENSTAL ABBEY (IRE) 5-10-13 J P McManus Charlie Swan IRE
104-1 JAMES DE VASSY (FR) 4-10-12 Jakeman, Barrett, Booth & Ferrand Nick Williams
1F055-6 PREMIER DANE (IRE) 7-10-11 Jim Ennis Construction Ltd Nicky Richards
0/3153-0U COCKNEY TRUCKER (IRE) 7-10-09 Karola Vann Philip Hobbs
0/20-040 DEFINATE SPECTACLE (IRE) 9-10-09 Mrs Pat Sloan Noel Meade IRE
6//2103-4 GEE DEE NEN 6-10-07 Chris Duggan & Brendan Gilligan Gary Moore
05-3112 MCMURDO SOUND (IRE) 5-10-06 Janet Williamson Gordon Elliott IRE
0663-P51 HARRY TRICKER 5-10-00 Richard Green Gary Moore
0/0/105-6 SALUTE HIM (IRE) 6-9-11 Byrne Bros (Formwork) Limited Tony Martin IRE
5/UF/0P0- HEARTHSTEAD DREAM 8-9-08 M Wasylocha Gordon Elliott IRE

28 confirmations
8 Irish-trained

FRANCE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF EUROPEAN CHALLENGE - ‘THE CRYSTAL CUP 2010’

This multi-national challenge will see Cross Country Steeplechase champion trainers Josef Vana from the Czech Republic, Enda Bolger from Ireland and France’s Guillaume Macaire compete head-to-head with their strong teams of horses to produce the first European Crystal Cup Champion.

Points will be awarded to the first six horses to finish in each race, with extra bonus points awarded to horses that have travelled from abroad to take part. All runners taking part in the final race at Cheltenham in December will receive an additional bonus point. As well as the 10,000 Euro award to the winning stable, there will be individual trophies celebrating both the horse and rider who accumulate the most points over the 10 race series.

Announcing the Crystal Cup at Auteuil's International Meeting on Sunday, Jean D'Indy, Vice Chairman of France Galop said, "France is proud to be announcing this exciting, six-nation initiative, that brings together Europe’s leading Cross Country racecourses to celebrate the most successful stable in the 10 chosen races in 2010”.

Representatives from the six nations of France, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Great Britain attended Auteuil’s International Jumps weekend to announce the launch of this exciting new European race series.

Cheltenham Racecourse’s Managing Director Edward Gillespie, who has been appointed President of the Crystal Cup, said: “We have been working on this project for many years and to have brought a challenge together that involves six European nations is an enormous achievement for all concerned. Cross Country Steeplechasing is the form of Jump racing that promotes the best opportunities for international competition. We look forward to these 10 races through 2010 and to crowning a worthy winner next December.”



For more information about the Crystal Cup please visit www.crystalcup.org



Ends



For further information please contact Victoria Schlesinger on +44 7798 877125

or e mail victoria@crystalcup.org



Distributed by Racenews



Notes to the editors:



SCHEDULE FOR THE CRYSTAL CUP 2010



Month
Location
Country
Prize Money in Euros

Feb
Pau
France
75,000

April
Fontainebleau
France
50,000

April
Punchestown
Ireland
30,000

April
Compiègne
France
50,000

May
Lion D’Angers
France
112,000

Aug
Waregem
Belgium
100,000

Sept
Craon
France
75,000

Sept
Merano
Italy
40,000

Oct
Pardubice
Czech Republic
178,000

Dec
Cheltenham
England
25,000









Total 735,000 Euros

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