Meeting - The Showcase -
Friday & Saturday, October 19 & 20
First race - 2.10pm
Friday, 2.00pm Saturday - gates open at noon both days
Trainer Tom George is
looking forward to Cheltenham's opening meeting of the season, with Baby Mix
and Triangular set to line up in two of the highlights of the second
day of The Showcase on Saturday, October 20.
Baby Mix is due to return
to the home of Jump racing for the extended two-mile £30,000 Masterson Holdings
Hurdle (3.05pm) after coming home ninth on his latest start in the Grade One
JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival on March 16.
The four-year-old had
previously posted an impressive victory in the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle
at Kempton in February and made an exciting debut for George at Cheltenham with
a seven-length win in JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at The International in
December.
George revealed: "Baby
Mix is a possible runner in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle. He's got an entry at
Kempton on Sunday as well but we are leaning towards Cheltenham at this stage.
"He has grown a bit
and strengthened up over the summer - he had been running on the Flat in France
prior to last season and this was the first proper break that he has been given
since he was a two-year-old. He looks stronger and bigger now.
"I think he just
didn't get home in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. He was a bit too keen, he had been
on the go for a long time and I think that he might have had enough for the
season.
"We will play it by
ear this season and see how he gets on in Saturday's race before deciding where
to go next. He has been schooling over fences since he was a three-year-old, so
we know he can jump, but we will stick to hurdles until we think we need to do
things differently."
The 13 entries for the
Masterson Holdings Hurdle also includes last season's JCB Triumph Hurdle fourth
Dodging Bullets and Ranjaan, who both represent Paul Nicholls,
and the Alan King-trained Vendor, who was third in the Grade Three Fred
Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at The Festival.
Triangular could make his
seasonal return in the £50,000 BetVictor Trophy (2.30pm), a handicap chase over
two and a half miles for which he is a 9/1 chance with the race sponsor.
The seven-year-old failed
to cope with the demands of the Grand National fences on his most recent
appearance as he was pulled up in the John Smith's Topham Chase on April 13 but
recorded a facile success in a Newbury handicap chase on March 23.
George added:
"Triangular is a possibility for the BetVictor.com Trophy. He didn't like
Aintree and we will leave the tongue-tie off him on his next start because I
have a feeling that he didn't like it in Topham Chase.
"He took a big hike
up in the weights for winning at Newbury and he has to run in competitive races
now so it won't be so easy for him.
"I hope that he has
improved over the summer but he has had plenty of racing in France and it's
hard to know whether he can be competitive off his current mark."
"We have also entered
Lord Ryeford (40/1 with BetVictor). He hasn't got many options open to
him but he needs good ground."
Havingotascoobydo and Astracad are
BetVictor's 7/1 joint favourites for the Betvictor.com Trophy, with Rebel Du
Maquis (10/1), Darna (10/1) and Prince Tom (10/1) also among
the 35 entries.
The other feature race on
Saturday is the £50,000 Ryman The Stationer Handicap Chase (3.40pm, 29 entries)
with last season's Hennessy Gold Cup hero Carruthers set to line up in
the extended three-mile contest.
The Showcase offers the
chance to see, hear about and participate in some of the aspects of racing that
are normally off-limits.
The weighing room and
parade ring will be open to the public before racing and there will be chances
to win some wonderful racing experiences, such as presenting a trophy, watching
a race in the commentary box or seeing the jockeys weigh in after a race.
BetVictor.com Trophy
7/1 Astracad,
Havingotascoobydoo, 9/1 Triangular, 10/1 , Rebel Du Maquis, Darna, Prince Tom,
12/1 Easter Meteor, That'lldoboy, 14/1 Mad Moose, Bobowen, Jamsie Hall, Spock,
Royale's Charter, Rob Conti, Kauto Relko, 16/1 Tartak, Nadiya De la Vega,
Ixora, Tiger O'Toole, 20/1 Divers, Lancetto, Buck Mulligan, Gilbarry, Wessex
King, 25/1 Finger Onthe Pulse, Takeroc, Life Of A Luso, 33/1 Idarah, Quito Du
Tresor, Mister Matt, Politeo, Forget It, Campbonnais, 40/1 Got Attitude, Lord
Ryeford
Each Way 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4
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