Meeting: The International
Dates: Friday &
Saturday - December 14 & 15
Gates Open: 10am both days
First Race: 12.15pm
Friday, 12.10pm Saturday
Following an impressive
victory at The Open, Coneygree is set to return to Cheltenham for the
£25,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (1.55pm) over three miles on
day two of The International, Saturday, December 15.
The Mark Bradstock-trained
five-year-old, a half-brother to the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers,
made all of the running for a emphatic seven-length victory in the Grade Two
Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs
on November 18.
He posted a decisive
20-length success on his debut over hurdles at Uttoxeter on November 2.
Sara Bradstock, wife of
trainer Mark, commented: "Coneygree is on course for the Albert Bartlett
Novices' Hurdle. He came out of his run at The Open wonderfully well and he is
in great nick.
"The idea of stepping
him up to three miles now is to so that we have all of the facts in front of us
when we consider which race to go for at The Festival.
"Everything that he
does suggests the further, the better for him but we would like to see how he
gets on over three miles before committing to the Albert Bartlett Novices'
Hurdle in March.
"He has always been
similar to Carruthers but with a bit more strength to him. Carruthers was a
little first foal who was also a twin so he is not robust and fighting
alongside big horses has eventually got to him.
"Coneygree is bigger
and he probably has a slightly higher cruising speed, so we hope that it is all
going to be slightly easier for him."
The 13 entries for the
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle also include According To Trev, who was
third behind Coneygree at The Open, impressive Ffos Las scorer Boyfromnowhere,
Grade Two Persian War Novices' Hurdle third Lienosus and Mon Mome,
who won the John Smith's Grand National in 2009.
A seven-race card on day
two of The International also features the £100,000 Paul Stewart IronSpine
Charity Challenge Gold Cup (2.30pm) and the £130,000 Grade Two StanJames.com
International (3.05pm), a key trial for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at The
Festival in March.
Day one of The
International on Friday, December 14, features the £45,000 Grade Three
Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase (1.55pm) and the £35,000 Glenfarclas Cross
Country Handicap Steeple Chase (2.30pm).
GOING
The going at Cheltenham
has changed to:
GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN
PLACES on
the Chase and Hurdle courses
GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN
PLACES (frozen in parts) on the Cross Country course
Frost covers have been
deployed on both the Chase and Hurdle courses and also on vulnerable areas of
the Cross Country course.
There will be an
inspection of the Cross Country course at 8am on Friday.
Simon Claisse, Head of
Racing at Cheltenham, said today: "We are currently experiencing very cold
weather at Cheltenham and the going is now good to soft, soft in places on all
three courses.
"The Cross Country
course is not currently raceable due to it being frozen in parts and for that
reason I have decided to hold a precautionary inspection at 8.00am on Friday.
"However, the
forecast for later in the week remains much more positive and the current
prediction is for temperatures to reach nine degrees on Friday in the daytime.
We are also still due to receive heavy rain from early on Friday morning."
Web: www.cheltenham.co.uk
Twitter: @CheltenhamRaces
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