Meeting - The Open -
Friday, Saturday & Sunday November 16, 17 & 18
First race - 1.15pm
Friday, 12.45pm Saturday, 1.10pm Sunday - gates open 10am Friday &
Saturday, 11.00am Sunday
Cheltenham regular Bradley
is on course for a return to the home of Jump racing for the £50,000 Grade
Three Henrietta Knight Handicap Chase over just short of three and a half miles
on the second day of The Open, Saturday, November 17, 2012.
The Henrietta Knight
Handicap Chase honours the Wantage-based trainer, who announced her retirement
in May. Knight trained seven winners at The Festival and will be forever
associated with the great Best Mate, winner of the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup
in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Bradley made an
encouraging reappearance at The Showcase when coming home fourth in the Ryman
The Stationer Handicap Chase over an extended three miles on October 20.
He won the Champion
Hunters' Chase at Cheltenham in May having previously finished second to the
talented Ashkazar in the Ian Williams Racing Handicap Chase at The April
Meeting.
Trained Fergal O'Brien,
who is based in Gloucestershire, said: "We are looking at the Henrietta
Knight Handicap Chase with Bradley. He has come out of his run at The Showcase
in good form and hopefully we get him to The Open in one piece.
"It was an ideal
first run the last day. He got hampered at the second last - it didn't cost him
the win but it probably cost him a place.
"If Paddy (Brennan)
really got stuck into him at the top of the hill he would have been a bit
closer but that wasn't the plan as we have a long season ahead of us.
"I'm never confident
as I'm quite a pessimistic person but I will be hopeful of a very good run from
him at The Open. In those three mile races he just lacks that gear when they
quicken up but he does stay well, so the extra half mile will suit him.
"I think there is a
bit more to come from him especially in these long distance chases. I don't
think he would be a horse for the Grand National because he is not the biggest
but a Welsh National on good ground would be ideal."
The Open kicks off with Countryside
Day on Friday, November 16, which features a six-race card headlined by the
£45,000 Paddypower.com Handicap Chase over two miles. The card also includes
the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase and the £25,000 Grade Two
Opus Energy Novices' Hurdle over an extended two miles.
The £160,000 Grade Three
Paddy Power Gold Cup (44 entries) is the highlight of The Open on Saturday,
November 17, and the extended two and half mile handicap chase has been won by
some of Jump racing's biggest names since it's inception in 1960. In 2008 the
race was won by Imperial Commander, who went on to win the Betfred Cheltenham
Gold Cup in 2010.
A terrific card on
Saturday also features the £25,000 Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial over an
extended two miles.
Sunday's showpiece is the
£100,000 Grade Three Racing Post Hurdle (43 entries) over an extended two miles
which can be a key pointer to the Stan James Champion Hurdle at The Festival in
March. The final day of The Open also includes the £50,000 Shloer Chase over
two miles and the £25,000 Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices'
Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.
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