KNOCKARA BEAU READY FOR CHELTENHAM RETURN WITH LUCY ALEXANDER ON BOARD

Meeting - The Showcase - Friday & Saturday, October 19 & 20

First race - 2.10pm Friday, 2.00pm Saturday - gates open at noon both days

Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793 003.

Cheltenham specialist Knockara Beau, trained by George Charlton, will make his seasonal reappearance with Lucy Alexander in the saddle for the first time in the £50,000 Ryman The Stationer Handicap Chase (3.40pm, 29 entries) over an extended three miles at The Showcase this Saturday, October 20.

 

The nine-year-old ran at Cheltenham three times last season, finishing second in the Grade Three Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase in December and third in the Grade Two Argento Chase on Festival Trials Day in January.

On his most recent start at Cheltenham, he ran a good race to be sixth in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Synchronised at The Festival in March. His form was not as good on his final two outings of the season in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and a three-mile handicap hurdle at Haydock in May.

Knockara Beau has had six other outings at Cheltenham, only once finishing out of the frame. He was fourth in the Pertemps Final at the 2011 Festival and occupied the same position in the Grade One RSA Chase at the 2010 Festival.

Charlton, who trains in Northumberland, said: "We are all organised to go and Knockara Beau is well so we are going to run in the Ryman The Stationer Handicap Chase.

"The horse has done well over the summer and he is working well but it's his first run of the season so we will find out where we are with him.

"He loves the track at the Cheltenham and we were hoping he would run well in the Scottish National but the race wasn't run to suit. He seems to do his best work at Cheltenham so we will keep coming down and having a go.

"Lucy Alexander is going to ride him. She has been down to school him and he gets on well with her and Lucy is in great form herself. She can claim three pounds which will help a little bit and I am going to give her an opportunity to ride a few of my horses this year and see how we go."

The contest could also see the returnof last season's Hennessy Gold Cup hero Carruthers and Alan King's lightly raced nine-year-old Hold On Julio, while Bradley, trained by Fergal O'Brien and successful in the Champion Hunters' Chase at Cheltenham in May, is also entered.

The other feature race on a seven-race card at Cheltenham on Saturday is the BetVictor.com Trophy (2.30pm, 35 entries) over two and a half miles. The £50,000 handicap chase will see the return of Martin Keighley's unexposed seven-year-old Havingotascoobydo and the highly regarded Astracad, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies.

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 or watching a race in the commentary box.

GOING

The going at Cheltenham is currently: Good to Soft, Good in places.

Simon Claisse, Cheltenham's Head of Racing, commented: "We had five millimetres of rain overnight and the going is now good to soft, good in places.

"The forecast is for showers, with a further five millimetres forecast to arrive before racing on Friday.

"It is predicted to be predominantly dry for racing on Friday and Saturday."