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
Gordon Elliott's improving
four-year-old Cause Of Causes will bid to go one better in a valuable
handicap hurdle when he lines up in the £100,000 Grade Three Racing Post Hurdle
(2.50pm) at Cheltenham on the third and final day of The Open, this Sunday, November
18.
The son of Dynaformer was
beaten a head by high-class hurdler Rebel Fitz in the prestigious Galway Hurdle
in early August and bounced back from a disappointing effort at Perth later the
same month with a half-length victory at Fairyhouse on November 7.
Elliott said: "Causes
Of Causes definitely runs in the Racing Post Hurdle and Davy Condon will ride.
"He has come out of
his win at Fairyhouse very well and he is in good nick so everything seems OK.
"It was his first run
for a while at Fairyhouse and we thought he needed a gallop on grass somewhere
so it worked out perfectly. Davy (Condon) didn't knock him around and he has
come out of it fine.
"He has run below
form twice at Perth but every other run of his has been great and he goes to Cheltenham
with a good, solid each way chance."
Paddy Power make Cause Of
Causes, who is set to carry 11st, a 16/1 chance for the Racing Post Hurdle.
The 26 confirmations for
the extended two-mile contest are headed by Nicky Henderson's top-class hurdler
Darlan (11st 12lb, 5/2 favourite with Paddy Power), who won a Grade Two at
Aintree's Grand National meeting in April, and Philip Hobbs' lightly raced 10-year-old
Snap Tie (11st 12lb, 16/1).
As well as Darlan, owner
JP McManus is likely to represented by Jonjo O'Neill's improving five-year-old It's
A Gimme (11st 1lb, 7/1), while Henderson also plans to saddle Irish Grade
One scorer Cash And Go (11st 2lb, 6/1).
Champion trainer Paul
Nicholls has three possible contenders including recent course and distance
winner Dark Lover (10st 6lb, 12/1) and last weekend's Grade Two Elite
Hurdle runner-up Prospect Wells (11st 7lb, 12/1).
The eight Irish contenders
going forward are headed by Cause Of Causes and Domination (10st 11lb,
9/1) from the yard of Charles Byrnes, who was last seen on the Flat when
winning the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket in late September.
An exciting six-race card
at Cheltenham on Sunday opens with the £25,000 Racing Post Arkle Trial Novices'
Chase (1.10pm, nine entries) over two miles. The Grade Two contest is likely to
see a match up between Grade One winning novice hurdler Captain Conan
and impressive novice chase scorers Sire De Grugy and Rebel Rebellion.
All eyes will be on the
imperious Sprinter Sacre, successful in last season's Grade One Racing
Post Arkle Chase at The Festival, in the £50,000 Shloer Chase over two miles
(2.20pm, eight entries).
High-class action
continues with the £25,000 Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices'
Hurdle (3.25pm) over an extended two and a half miles, with the 16 entries
including Paul Nicholls' Fox Run, who scooted home for a 14-length
victory on his hurdling debut at Worcester in October.
GOING
The going at Cheltenham is
currently Good to Soft, Good in places on the chase and hurdle courses
and Good to Soft, Soft in places on the cross country course.
The forecast is for
predominantly dry conditions until Friday evening, when between four and six
millimetres of rain are predicted. It is then forecast to be mainly dry over
the weekend.
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