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
A high-class renewal of
the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup, which has record prize money of £160,000,
can be expected after the five-day confirmations were unveiled for the
highlight of The Open, which takes place this Saturday, November 17.
The 22 acceptors for the
extended two and a half mile contest are headed by Cheltenham regular Poquelin
(11st 12lb, 25/1 with Paddy Power), who has run in the past three Paddy Power
Gold Cups and won five times at the home of Jump racing.
As well as Poquelin,
champion trainer Paul Nicholls plans to run Grade One-winning novice hurdler
and chaser Al Ferof (11st 6lb, 7/1) and Grade Three handicap chase
scorer Aerial (11st 4lb, 20/1).
The confirmations also
include last season's runner-up Quantitativeeasing (11st 4lb, 20/1) and
third Divers (10st 1lb, 16/1), who landed the Listed Pulteney Land
Investments Novices' Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2011.
After his good effort in
the Paddy Power Gold Cup, Divers came home fourth in the Byrne Group Plate at
The Festival in March and was last seen when finishing down the field in the
BetVictor.com Handicap Chase at The Showcase on October 20.
Trainer Ferdy Murphy said:
"Divers definitely runs in the Paddy Power Gold Cup providing we don't get
monsoon type rain.
"He has come out of
his race at The Showcase in really good form. He always takes a run to come to
life and we are really happy with him.
"He ran very well
when he finished third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last season but the rain
came on the Friday night and that didn't help. He loves good ground and the
better the ground, the better his chance.
"The Paddy Power Gold
Cup looks like it is going to be a fantastic race this year. There are a lot of
very good horses and it looks very competitive.
"Providing the ground
stays right for Divers, I think he will run an extremely good race. Timmy
Murphy rides - his record around Cheltenham speaks for itself and I think he
will really suit the horse."
Paddy Power's 9/4
favourite Grands Crus (11st 6lb), won the Grade One Feltham Novices'
Chase at Kempton last season and will be bidding to give trainer David Pipe his
second Paddy Power Gold Cup after Great Endeavour's seven-length victory last
year.
Next best in the market is
one of the stories of last season Hunt Ball (11st 6lb, 11/2), who won
seven of his nine races in 2011/12 races including the Listed Pulteney Land
Investments Novices' Handicap Chase at The Festival.
He rounded off last season
with a fine third in the Grade One Betfred Bowl at Aintree, which saw his
rating rise to 157 - 88lb higher than it was at the beginning of the season.
Alan King could bid for
his first Paddy Power Gold Cup victory with former high-class hurdler Walkon
(10st 6lb, 8/1), while Andy Turnell could saddle Grade One runner-up Micheal
Flips (10st 8lb, 14/1).
Four-time chase winner The
Disengager (10st 4lb, 20/1)and Wishfull Thinking (11st 11lb, 25/1),
who was the beaten favourite when sixth in last season's Paddy Power Gold Cup,
are the two remaining entries for Philip Hobbs, while Mick Channon is set to be
represented by classy course and distance victor Calgary Bay (11st 7lb,
25/1), formerly trained by Henrietta Knight.
Nicky Henderson, who won
the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2003 with Fondmort, has four possibles headed by
recent course winner Nadiya De La Vega (10st 8lb, 12/1) plus Tanks
For That (11st 4lb, 20/1), Quantitativeeasing, and Triolo d'Alene (10st
1lb, 20/1).
Jonjo O'Neill could run
Cheltenham Festival winner Finger Onthe Pulse (9st 13lb, 33/1) and Grade
Two winning chaser Gilbarry (9st 4lb, 33/1), while Henry Daly may be
represented by Kingsmere (10st, 25/1).
The four remaining
Irish-trained contenders are led by 2009 Racing Post Arkle hero Forpadydeplasterer
(10st 13lb, 33/1), who will be having his first start in handicap company, and
Galway Plate runner-up Casey Top (9st 13lb, 33/1), trained by Leonard
Whitmore.
The entries are completed
by Gordon Elliott's Jamsie Hall (9st 7lb, 33/1) and Kerry National
runner-up Questions Answered (9st 7lb, 33/1), trained by Eric McNamara.
Saturday's card kicks off
at 12.45pm with the Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial over an extended two
miles which has attracted 10 entries headed by Paul Nicholls' Chepstow winner
Far West and Nicky Henderson's exciting French import Vasco Du Ronceray.
The Grade Three Henrietta
Knight Handicap Chase (1.55pm, 22 entries) over just short of three and a half
miles is the longest race on the card and could feature the return of Diamond
Jubilee National Hunt Chase hero Teaforthree.
An exciting six-race card
at Cheltenham on Sunday, November 18, is headlined by the £100,000 Grade Three
Racing Post Hurdle. The extended two-mile contest can be a key pointer to the
Stan James Champion Hurdle in March and the 26 going forward include Darlan,
It's A Gimme and Domination.
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.
Simon Claisse, Head of
Racing at Cheltenham, said: "There could be a little shower tomorrow but
other than that we will be dry until late afternoon or early evening on
Friday."
Twitter: @CheltenhamRaces
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehomeofjumpracing
THE PADDY
POWER GOLD CUP
Class 1,
Grade 3, £160,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.35pm,. Cheltenham, Saturday,
November 17, 2012. For 4yo+, 2m 4f 110yds. Entries closed October 30, entries
revealed October 31 (44 entries, 1 subsequently scratched), weights
revealed November 7. Penalties: after November 4, a winner of a chase 5lb (no
penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb). Five-day confirmation
stage November 12 (22 remain), final 48-hour declaration stage 10.00am,
November 15. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and
including the racing of Sunday, November 11.
Form
Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer
1/5U26-4 POQUELIN
(FR) 9-11-12 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
26F25-2 WISHFULL
THINKING 9-11-11 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs
1/11343- AL
FEROF (FR) 7-11-08 John Hales Paul Nicholls
F/05110- CALGARY
BAY (IRE) 9-11-07 Camilla Radford Mick Channon
211113- HUNT
BALL (IRE) 7-11-06 Anthony Knott Keiran Burke
2/61114- GRANDS
CRUS (FR) 7-11-06 Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds III David Pipe
2/02105-
QUANTITATIVEEASING (IRE) 7-11-04 J P McManus Nicky
Henderson
2/41412- AERIAL
(FR) 6-11-04 Tony Hayward and Barry Fulton Paul Nicholls
3/1F32P- TANKS
FOR THAT (IRE) 9-11-04 Bridget Hanbury Nicky Henderson
33464-2 FORPADYDEPLASTERER
(IRE) 10-10-13 Goat Racing Syndicate Thomas Cooper IRE
603/10-1 NADIYA
DE LA VEGA (FR) 6-10-08 J P McManus Nicky Henderson
40124-5 MICHEAL
FLIPS (IRE) 8-10-08 Martin Tedham Andy Turnell
0/1345P- WALKON
(FR) 7-10-06 McNeill Family Alan King
S41141 THE
DISENGAGER (IRE) 8-10-04 Govier & Brown Philip Hobbs
3U040-0 DIVERS
(FR) 8-10-01 Let's Live Racing Ferdy Murphy
41110-2 TRIOLO
D'ALENE (FR) 5-10-01 Mr & Mrs Sandy Orr Nicky Henderson
1F-211F KINGSMERE
7-10-00 Hamer & Hawkes Henry Daly
336-120 CASEY
TOP (IRE) 9-9-13 Casey Brothers
Syndicate Leonard
Whitmore IRE
F0-3633 FINGER
ONTHE PULSE (IRE) 11-9-13 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
26/0-023 QUESTIONS
ANSWERED (IRE) 7-9-07 B Graham Eric McNamara IRE
2P6244 JAMSIE
HALL (IRE) 9-9-07 Teresa Mangan Gordon Elliott IRE
3P0F-30 GILBARRY
(IRE) 7-9-04 Mrs Peter Bond Jonjo O'Neill
22
confirmations
4
Irish-trained
Paddy
Power Bet: 9/4 Grand Crus; 11/2 Hunt Ball; 7/1 Al Ferof; 8/1 Walkon; 12/1
Nadiya De La Vega; 14/1 Michael Flips; 16/1 Divers; 20/1 Aerial,
Quantitativeeasing, The Disengager, Tanks For That, Triolo d'Alene; 25/1
Poquelin, Wishfull Thinking, Kingsmere, Calgary Bay; 33/1 Gilbarry,
Forpadydeplasterer, Questions Answered, Jamsie Hall, Casey Top, Finger On the
Pulse
THE
RACING POST HURDLE
Class 1,
Grade 3, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.55pm,. Cheltenham, Sunday,
November 18, 2012. For 4yo+, 2m 110yds. Entries closed October 30, entries
revealed October 31 (43 entries, 1 subsequently scratched), weights revealed
November 7. Penalties: after November 4, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb (no
penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb). Five-day confirmation
stage November 12 (26 remain), final 48-hour declaration stage 10.00am,
November 16. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and
including the racing of Sunday, November 11.
Form
Horse Age Owner Trainer
111F21- DARLAN
5-11-12 J P McManus Nicky Henderson
2306/1//1-
SNAP TIE (IRE) 10-11-12 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs
214453-2 PROSPECT
WELLS (FR) 7-11-07 Andrea & Graham Wylie Paul Nicholls
50-0FF1 MOON
DICE (IRE) 7-11-06 Three Friers Cross Syndicate Paul Flynn IRE
3134/30-0
STARLUCK (IRE) 7-11-05 Andrew Wates David
Arbuthnot
004/600//-
BLUE BAJAN (IRE) 10-11-05 Dr John Hollowood David
O'Meara
0-20131 RATTAN
(USA) 7-11-03 J A Coleman Willie Mullins IRE
4/31115- CASH
AND GO (IRE) 5-11-02 Robin Geffen Nicky Henderson
2(5)220/-2
BOTHY 6-11-01 Dan Gilbert Brian Ellison
21210-2 IT'S
A GIMME (IRE) 5-11-01 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
2-101261 CAUSE
OF CAUSES (USA) 4-11-00 (5lb ex) Timeform Betfair Racing Club Ltd Gordon
Elliott IRE
6D1/21-2 DOMINATION
5-10-11 Patrick Wilmott/Ms C Cleary Charles Byrnes IRE
101-155 CONSTANT
CONTACT 5-10-11 Delboy & Rodney Donald McCain
21140-
KAZLIAN (FR) 4-10-11 Twelve Pipers Piping David
Pipe
0/42F50- OLOFI
(FR) 6-10-11 McNeill Family Tom George
2F131-P VENDOR
(FR) 4-10-11 Thurloe 52 Alan King
4-45023 ONE
COOL SHABRA (IRE) 4-10-10 Rita Shah Oliver Brady IRE
42100-0 TED
SPREAD 5-10-07 False Nose 'n Glasses Partnership Paul Nicholls
25511-1 HI
DANCER 9-10-06 R Tocher Ben Haslam
601U3P- GLAM
GERRY (IRE) 8-10-06 Barry Connell Colm Murphy IRE
2/21(2)1/-1
DARK LOVER (GER) 7-10-06 Des Nichols & Peter Hart Paul
Nicholls
F33511 HUNTERS
BELT (IRE) 8-10-05 R A Fisher & John Blair George
Bewley
04133///-1
KING OF QUEENS (IRE) 7-10-04 Ashley Scanlon Thomas Mullins
F101-05 STAR
OF ARAGON (IRE) 6-9-12 Holly's Buddies Syndicate James Nash IRE
P004-30 GREY
SOLDIER (IRE) 7-9-11 J O'Brien & Christian Leech
Sophie Leech
043525
THE TIDDLY TADPOLE 7-9-08 The Frog Chorus Simon
West
26
confirmations
7
Irish-trained
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