Meeting: The International
Dates: Friday & Saturday
- December 14 & 15
Gates Open: 10am both days
First Race: 12.15pm
Friday, 12.10pm Saturday
Midnight Chase could try to continue his
superb record at Cheltenham in the £45,000 Grade Three Majordomo Hospitality
Handicap Chase (1.55pm), one of the highlights of the first day of The
International on Friday, December 14.
The Neil
Mulholland-trained 10-year-old has won five of his nine starts at the home of
Jump racing, including victories in the Grade Two Argento Chase on Festival
Trials Day in January and the Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase in December,
2010.
He was fifth in the 2011
renewal of the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup and stayed on to take third on his
seasonal return in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 3.
Mulholland revealed:
"Midnight Chase has been in good form since his run in the Charlie Hall
Chase and it all depends on the ground whether or not he takes his chance in
the Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase.
"He'll run if it's
good to soft ground or better as he won the Argento Chase on good to soft but
we won't be running him on soft.
"He was giving
Silviniaco Conti five pounds in the Charlie Hall and will probably improve more
for his first run compared to previous years because he is a bit cleverer these
days.
"He kept on galloping
at Wetherby but he was never happy on the ground and, although I always want to
win, you would have to be very happy with the run.
"I think he likes the
undulations and turns at Cheltenham and he has just really taken to the track.
"He has carried big
weights in big handicaps around Cheltenham before and has proven he is very
tough although he obviously has to do it all again."
The 22 entries for the
Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase also include the J P McManus-owned trio of
Alfie Sherrin, who won the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase at The Festival
in March, Paddy Power Gold Cup third Nadiya De La Vega and Quantitativeeasing,
who scored in the Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup at The
International 12 months ago.
Other contenders for the
extended three mile, one furlong contest include Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir
Challenge Cup Handicap Chase runner-up Becauseicouldntsee, Bradley,
who was narrowly beaten in the Henrietta Knight Handicap Chase at The Open,
Grade One winner Planet Of Sound and the hat-trick seeking Quartz de
Thaix.
A seven-race card on day
one of The International also features the £35,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country
Handicap Steeple Chase (2.30pm), run over three miles and seven furlongs of
Cheltenham's Cross Country Course.
Uncle Junior, Balthazar King and
Outlaw Pete filled the places in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple
Chase at The Open and all three are among the 17 entries alongside the Jessica
Harrington-trained Boston's Angel, who captured the Grade One RSA Chase
at The Festival in 2011.
Racing gets underway with
the £20,000 Shloer Novices' Chase (12.15pm) over two miles and five furlongs,
which has attracted 15 entries headed by Broadbackbob, who made an
impressive chasing debut at Plumpton on November 19, plus the Paul
Nicholls-trained pair of Rebel Rebellion and Unioniste.
A total of 26 entries for
the £22,000 Citipost Handicap Hurdle (3.05pm) over three miles include Cross
Kennon, who was beaten a neck in the Listed Ultima Business Solutions
Handicap Hurdle at The Open, and Air Force One, a Grade One winner over
fences.
The action is completed by
the £12,000 Caspian Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase (12.45pm, 17 entries),
the £12,000 CF Roberts Electrical + Mechanical Services Handicap Hurdle
(1.20pm, 33 entries) and the British Stallion Studs Pyments Quantity Surveyors
EBF National Hunt Novices Hurdle (3.40pm, 21 entries).
Day two of The
International on Saturday, December 15, 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.
GROUND
The Going at Cheltenham is
currently:
Chase & Hurdle Courses
- Soft
Cross Country Course - Soft
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