Meeting: The April Meeting
Date: Wednesday, April 17 &
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Gates Open: 12 noon
First Race: 2.10pm Wednesday, 2pm
Thursday
Grade One-winning chaser Menorah
(11st 10lb) will have to concede upwards of 7lb to his six rivals in the
£50,000 Grade Two Macmillan Cancer Support Silver Trophy Limited Handicap Chase
(3.55pm) at Cheltenham on the opening day of The April Meeting, tomorrow,
Wednesday, April 17.
The Philip Hobbs-trained
eight-year-old captured the Grade One Betfred Manifesto Novices' Chase at
Aintree last year and annexed another big prize this season when taking the
rearranged Grade Two Peterborough Chase at Kempton Park on December 27.
After pulling up in the
Ryanair Chase at The Festival in March, he bounced back to his best with a
three quarters of a length second to First Lieutenant in the Grade One Betfred
Bowl over three miles and a furlong at Aintree on April 4.
Hobbs said today:
"Menorah came out of Aintree in good heart and he seems well.
"I think the drop
back in trip tomorrow will be to his advantage. I would like to think he can
carry the weight but, at the same time, giving weight to good horses in a
handicap will not be to his advantage.
"He disappointed in
the Ryanair Chase but I don't think the course had anything to do with it. He
has won three times around Cheltenham."
Menorah's opponents in the
two mile, five furlong handicap chase are headed by Keiran Burke's Hunt Ball
(11st 3lb), who got back to winning ways in a valuable handicap chase at
Taunton on April 4. The eight-year-old had previously finished fourth under a
welter burden in the Byrne Group Plate at The Festival won by Carrickboy
(10st 4lb), who will be out to prove that 50/1 success was no fluke for trainer
Venetia Williams.
Local handler Martin
Keighley is represented by stable star Champion Court (10st 10lb), who
has yet to win this season but has run some good races in defeat including when
fourth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
The field is completed by Ghizao
(10st 10lb), from the stable of Paul Nicholls, Big Fella Thanks (10st
9lb), who unseated Denis O'Regan in the John Smith's Grand National,and Emma
Lavelle's Easter Meteor (10st 4lb).
The seven-race card at
Cheltenham tomorrow opens at 2.10pm with the £16,000 Citipost Novices' Hurdle
over two and a half miles. A cracking contest looks assured with exciting
prospects Puffin Billy, Whisper and Karinga Dancer among a
field of seven.
Grade Two-winning novice
chasers Goulanes and Houblon Des Obeaux clash with lightly-raced
course scorer Sire Collonges in the £20,000 Weatherite Novices' Chase
(5.05pm, four runners).
Competitive handicap
action looks assured with the £10,000 Rundle And Co Handicap Chase (2.45pm, 17
runners), the £20,000 Auriga Network Handicap Hurdle (3.20pm, 17 runners) and
the £10,000 Messier-Bugatti-Dowty Novices' Handicap Hurdle (4.30pm, 20 runners).
The action is rounded off
with the £10,000 sportinglife.com Pony Racing Authority Graduates Handicap
Hurdle (5.35pm, 11 runners), restricted to amateur and conditional riders that
have ridden in Pony races.
GOING
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