Friday, December 4, 2009
SIZING AUSTRALIA OUT TO MAINTAIN IRISH DOMINATION IN GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY STEEPLE CHASE
Meeting: The Boylesports International
Dates: Friday & Saturday - December 11 & 12
Gates Open: 10.00am both days
First Race: 12.05pm Friday, 12.10pm Saturday
Admission prices from £9. Go to www.cheltenham.co.uk for further information
With four victories in the past five years, Irish trainers boast a fantastic record in the £22,500 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase (1.15pm) and trainer Henry de Bromhead is hopeful that Sizing Australia can continue the trend on the first day of the Boylesports International at Cheltenham on Friday, December 11.
The seven-year-old made a pleasing first appearance over the unique three mile, seven furlong, course at The Open on November 13, staying on well to be a close third behind the Enda Bolger-trained pair of Garde Champetre and Heads Onthe Ground
Co Waterford-based de Bromhead revealed this morning: “We are hoping to bring Sizing Australia back over to Cheltenham. I thought that he did brilliantly on his first try over the course at The Open and we were delighted with him.
“We will have to wait and see what the handicapper does but I am hopeful that we might be a bit better off at the weights with Enda’s runners. We have two lengths to find on Garde Champetre but he is the kind of horse that could always win by two lengths - he travels so easily over the course and always seems to just do enough in front.
“Sizing Australia had a leg injury last season and so we decided to give him some time off to recover. He has yet to win over conventional fences but he has been running against some good horses
“He was fourth in a decent novice chase at Clonmel last September before he got injured, when he just tired in the closing stages and he ran on heavy ground on his three subsequent starts, which didn’t really suit him in the really competitive races. I don’t think that softer ground would be such a massive disadvantage in a cross country race, but he is definitely a better ground horse.
“He is only a seven-year-old and I think that his future is in these kinds of contests. Alan and Ann Potts (the owners) really enjoy watching horses run over cross country courses and it’s great that the top festivals such as Cheltenham and Punchestown put the races on.”
Since its introduction in 2001, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase has become one of the highlights of the Boylesports International. Course specialist and Cheltenham favourite Spot Thedifference landed the spoils for legendary cross country trainer Enda Bolger in 2004 and won the contest for a second time in 2006, when his rivals included subsequent Grand National winner Silver Birch.
Co Meath-based Tony Martin sent over Wonderkid to triumph in 2007, while Bolger completed a hat-trick of Irish successes last season as Garde Champetre defeated stable-companion L’Ami by a length and a quarter.
Friday’s seven-race programme also features the £50,000 Listed Neptune Investment Management Handicap Chase (1.50pm) over an extended three miles, one furlong, which was won in 2008 by subsequent John Smith’s Grand National hero Mon Mome.
The fantastic seven-race card on Saturday, December 12, includes one of the season’s top Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Trials in the shape of the two mile, one furlong £150,000 Grade Two Boylesports.com International (3.05pm), which the reigning Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdler Punjabi is on target for, as well as the prestigious £150,000 Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup (2.25pm) over two miles, five furlongs.
ALBERT BARTLETT EXTENDS ITS SUPPORT OF THE THREE-MILE NOVICES’ HURDLE PATTERN FOR FURTHER THREE YEARS
Cheltenham today announced that Albert Bartlett, the UK’s leading grower and packer of fresh potatoes, has extended its sponsorship of the Three-Mile Novices’ Hurdle Pattern until The Festival 2012.
A family business for more than 60 years, Albert Bartlett supplies 350,000 tonnes of fresh produce each year to the retail, food service, wholesale and processing industries and over recent years has become best known to the consumer for their Rooster Potato brand.
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Pattern Series for the 2009/10 season features Channel 4 televised three-mile events at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 12, Doncaster on Saturday, January 30, Haydock Park on Saturday, February 20 and at The Festival on Friday, March 19.
John Hicks, Marketing Manager at Albert Bartlett, said today: “I am delighted that Albert Bartlett is to remain involved in such a high-profile series of races and particularly the Grade One race at The Festival.
“Our sponsorship of these races over the last two years has been a valuable part of our mix, complimenting our other activity and exposing our brand to an extensive new audience.”
Cheltenham’s Director of Sponsorship, Peter McNeile, commented: “Albert Bartlett is a British success story and this sponsorship has worked well for them to increase their brand and product awareness. I’m delighted that their involvement is to continue until at least The Festival of 2012.”
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