Meeting: New Year's Day
Dates: Tuesday, January 1,
2013
Gates Open: 10.30am
First Race: 12.15pm
Tartak is on course for a third
consecutive outing at Cheltenham as his trainer Tim Vaughan eyes a tilt at the
£50,000 Grade Three New Year's Day Handicap Chase, the highlight of an exciting
seven-race card on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2013.
The nine-year-old won the
two mile, five furlong contest in 2011 when in the care of Tom George and has
performed admirably at Cheltenham this season, finishing sixth in the
betvictor.com Handicap Chase on his seasonal reappearance at The Showcase in
October and fourth in the Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup at
The International on December 15.
Vaughan said: "Tartak
has come out of his recent start at Cheltenham fantastically well. He had a
quiet couple of days but enjoyed his first stretch this morning up the canter
and the New Year's Day Handicap Chase is the target. I am looking forward to it
because his run on Saturday will have brought him on a little bit.
"Since he arrived
with us he was fifth at The Festival, sixth on his reappearance and fourth at
the weekend, and as a result he is becoming very well handicapped. Hopefully,
one day everything will come right for him and we will be able to get a nice
win into him.
"I think soft ground
is fine for him. It was extreme conditions at Cheltenham on Saturday and I
wouldn't be overly worried about the ground for him but a bit of better ground
would be nice."
The action on New Year's
Day at the home of Jump racing could feature a mouth-watering clash between
dual Grade One winner Oscar Whisky and 2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle
runner-up Peddlers Cross in the £25,000 Cheltenham & Three Counties
Race Club Hurdle (3.05pm) over an extended two and a half miles.
Racing gets underway at
12.15pm and also includes the Grade Two Cheltenham Pony Club Raceday Novices'
Chase (1.20pm) over an extended two and a half miles.
The £32,000 contest
witnessed a superb front-running performance from Champion Court last season,
who went on to finish second behind Sir Des Champs at The Festival, while past
winners also include subsequent Grade One scorers My Way De Solzen and The
Listener.
A large crowd is expected
to welcome in the New Year at Cheltenham Racecourse. The advice for those
racegoers intending to buy tickets on the day is please arrive early or, even
better, buy online using print@home and save money as well as time.
The price for the combined
Club/Tattersalls Enclosure is £25 if bought online using print@home, even on
the morning of New Year's Day, as against £30 for those purchasing on the day at
the racecourse.
Racegoers aged under 18
are admitted FREE, while FREE car parking is also available.
Twitter: @CheltenhamRaces
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehomeofjumpracing
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