Meeting - The Festival, Dates - Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday & Friday, March 12 - 15
First race -1.30pm each day
Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk
or by calling 08445 793 003
The
entries are revealed today (Thursday, January 31) for the four championship
novices' hurdles run at The Festival from Tuesday, March 12, to Friday, March
15.
A total of 94 entries have been
received, including 30 from Ireland and two from France, for The Festival
curtain raiser, the Grade One William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two
miles. Jezki, trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington and now
owned by J P McManus, heads the possible contenders after two impressive Grade
One victories at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown in December. He is 7/2 favourite
with sponsor William Hill. Un Atout (7/1) is one of seven entries
for Irish champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins, while the home challenge
features River Maigue, Dodging Bullets, Melodic
Rendezvous and Puffin Billy.
The last two named horses are
also among the 119 entries for the Grade One Neptune Investment Management
Novices' Hurdle, run over an extended two and a half miles on Wednesday, March
13. Jonjo O'Neill's potential representatives include Taquin Du Seuil,
who won the Grade One Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury, while Nigel
Twiston-Davies has entered The New One. Among the 35 Irish-trained
entries is Grade One Navan Novice Hurdle victor Pont Alexandre and
facile Grade Two Slaney Novice Hurdle scorer Rule The World, from
the stable of Mouse Morris.
Festival Trials Day winner At
Fishers Cross headlines 107 entries for the Grade One Albert Bartlett
Novices' Hurdle over three miles on Friday, March 15. He could clash again with
course and distance winner Coneygree, while David Pipe's nine
entries include Grands Crus' full-brother Gevrey Chambertin, who is
three from three over hurdles. Ireland's challenge is once again led by a
formidable team from the stable of Willie Mullins, which includes Pont
Alexandre, dual hurdle winner Ballycasey and last season's
Wetherbys Champion Bumper hero Champagne Fever.
Anonis, trained
by Willie's former sister-in-law, Margaret (Mags) Mullins, has been entered for
all three races but his trainer is yet to decide his Festival target. The
lightly-raced seven-year-old fell when still travelling well in a Grade Two at
Leopardstown on Sunday won by Pont Alexandre, but had previously looked a horse
of considerable potential with comfortable successes at Leopardstown over
Christmas and in a Listed bumper at Cheltenham in November.
Mags
Mullins revealed: "I'm not sure which race will be his target yet - I will
leave that to Barry (Connell, owner) - but he is just a little bit sore at the
moment and we will just have to see how he is over the next few days.
"He
looked as if he might have given the winner a race on Sunday and it was
disappointing to fall as it does take its toll. I don't know if I will be able
to get another run into him into him before Cheltenham as it's getting a bit close
now.
"He
is definitely good enough to go to Cheltenham - I think he is very good - and
if I have him right, we will definitely be going to The Festival.
"Barry
was talking about the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle or the
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle but he looked good when he won his bumper at
Cheltenham over two miles. I thought he would win that race at Cheltenham
because he beat that good horse of Tony Martin's in a schooling bumper two
weeks before so I was very confident - I didn't go over to Cheltenham for a
holiday!
"The
form of his maiden hurdle win at Leopardstown is working out very well - four
or five winners have come out of it - and it would have been lovely to get a
clear round on Sunday as the fall has left me in no man's land."
The Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle,
run over an extended two miles for four-year-olds on Friday, March 15, has
attracted a total of 58 entries. Nicky Henderson has annexed five JCB Triumph
Hurdles and his five entries include Festival Trials Day victor Rolling
Star, while champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls' six entries feature dual
course winner Far West and Irish Saint. The 15 Irish
contenders are headed by Our Conor, trained by Dessie Hughes,
and Diakali, who is one of seven engaged for Willie Mullins.
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