Meeting: Hunter Chase Evening
Date: Wednesday (evening), May
1, 2013
Gates Open: 3.30pm
First Race: 5.05pm
Admission prices from £9.
Go to www.cheltenham.co.uk for further
information
Cheltenham's 2012/13
season comes to a close tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1, with Hunter Chase Evening.
The seven-race programme has attracted 88 runners and a fine evening of sport
is in prospect.
The action gets underway
at 5.05pm with the Cheltenham Racecourse Conference And Events Hunters' Chase
which has attracted 14 runners. Fred Hutsby is looking forward to seeing Rash
Move attempt a second successive victory in the extended two-mile contest,
following a 13-length verdict over Swallows Delight 12 months ago.
The 12-year-old has made
three appearances in hunters' chases this year, most recently when coming home
a close third under regular jockey Tom Ellis in the John Smith's Fox Hunters'
Chase over the Grand National Fences at Aintree on April 4.
The trainer enjoyed some
memorable days as an amateur jockey at Cheltenham on board Mighty Moss, who won
a hurdle at the course in January, 1998, and made four appearances at The
Festival, including a fine second to the mighty Istabraq in the 1997 Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle.
Hutsby commented:
"Rash Move seems to have come out of Aintree very well. We schooled him on
Monday and there was not a bother on him, so he heads to Cheltenham in really
good form. He has been running really well all season, has a very high cruising
speed and, hopefully, he is the horse they have to beat.
"He needed his first
run of the season at Sandown in February and then his stamina was tested a bit
at Leicester in March. He has been a good yardstick this season and he should
be fine on the forecast ground, which is due to be on the soft side of good.
"I said to Tom Ellis
that, if he takes to the course at Aintree, he would be there crossing the
Melling Road and he ran a blinder to finish third. He made a couple of jumping
mistakes but he loved running around there.
"Everyone likes to
have a winner at Cheltenham - it's the mecca of Jump racing - and we have had
some good horses run there over the years. Rash Move has been a superstar for
us - he has always run in hunters' chases and point-to-points and I rode
my last ever winner on him. He's a special horse."
There are 18 runners in
the Connolly's Red Mills Intermediate Point-To-Point Championship Final
Hunters' Chase (5.40pm) over an extended three miles and a furlong including Forest
Walker, Bay To Go, Croan Rock, Double Bank, Harbour
Court, Indiana Bay, Quatuor Collonges and Ruapehu who
have all been in fine form between the flags over the past few months.
Divine Intavention finished third in the CGA
Foxhunter Chase at The Festival for trainer Fran Moller and heads the eight
runners in the Hunt Staff Benefit Society Hunters' Chase (For The United Hunts
Challenge Cup) (6.10pm) over an extended three miles and a furlong.
The richest race of the
evening is the Bonhams Men's Open Point-To-Point Championship Final Hunters'
Chase (6.45pm, eight runners) over an extended three and a quarter miles.
Moller is also represented in this contest by Arbour Hill, who has been
in excellent form in point-to-points while, Doctor Kingsley, trained by
Pauline Harkin, was fourth in this season's CGA Foxhunter Chase.
Mid Div And Creep heads the nine
declarations in the Cheltenham Champion Mares' Hunters' Chase (7.20pm) over an
extended three miles and a furlong. The 13-year-old was successful at this
fixture in 2011 over almost a mile further and was also runner-up in the 2011
CGA Foxhunter Chase. Her regular partner Gina Andrews takes the ride once
again.
The Jockey Club 7.75%
Racecourse Bond Hunters' Chase (7.50pm) is the longest race of the evening at
four miles and a furlong and has 19 runners, while the final race is the
Cheltenham Collection Ladies' Hunters' Steeple Chase (8.20pm) over two miles
and five furlongs, which has attracted 12 runners.
GOING
The going at Cheltenham is
currently Good to Soft, Good in places (watered).
Simon Claisse, Head of
Racing at Cheltenham, said: "We are experiencing dry and pleasant weather
and it is very pleasing to see the number of declared runners stand up so well
for Hunter Chase Evening."
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