The 2013/14 Jump season is really starting
to hot up and entries for the first major race of the campaign, the £160,000
Paddy Power Gold Cup, close at noon today, Tuesday, October 29.
The
Grade Three handicap chase is run at Cheltenham over an extended two and a half
miles on Saturday, November 16, day two of The Open.
Trainer
Lucinda Russell is considering the Paddy Power Gold Cup for Tap Night, who won
two of his six starts over fences last season and chased home Captain Conan in
the Grade One Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree in April.
The
six-year-old, who is owned by JP McManus, will make his seasonal return in the
Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle this Sunday,
November 3. The race has been a key pointer to the Paddy Power Gold Cup in
recent seasons, with Little Josh (2010), L'Antartique (2007) and Exotic Dancer
(2006) using it as a stepping-stone to victory.
Russell,
who is based at Kinross in Scotland, commented: "Tap Night will be entered
for the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He runs this weekend at Carlisle and we will see
how he gets on there before making a decision about Cheltenham.
"He
has come back from his summer break in good form and has been schooling and
working nicely. I was really pleased with how well he did last season and I
thought his run at Aintree behind Captain Conan was especially good.
"Two
and a half miles is his trip and he seems to handle any ground, so if he
continues to improve, he should be competitive."
Entries
also close tomorrow for the £100,000 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, which takes
place over an extended two miles on the third and final day of The Open,
Sunday, November 17.
About
The Open
The
Open is a prestigious and historic three-day meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse,
which signals that the new Jump season is in full swing. There is record prize
money of £743,000 in 2013, with the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup worth
£160,000.
Staged
on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 15, 16 & 17. The Open is the
second highest-profile meeting at the home of Jump racing, following The
Festival in March and a huge event in its own right.
The
Open provides thrilling competition between many of the best Jump horses in
Europe, with crowds of around 70,000 over the three days.
It is
regarded by many as the biggest and most important meeting of the first half of
the Jump season - a weekend of entertainment, sport and fun not to be missed,
including many trade stands in The Open shopping village.
Please
find more details at www.cheltenham.co.uk and
through Twitter (@CheltenhamRaces) and Facebook www.facebook.com/thehomeofjumpracing
About Cheltenham
Racecourse
Cheltenham
Racecourse is situated in Prestbury on the outskirts of the historic spa town
of Cheltenham. The Home of Jump Racing, Cheltenham Racecourse is the venue for
the world's pre-eminent Jump Racing meeting, The Festival, which takes place in
March every year. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswolds,
Cheltenham Racecourse is a stunning natural amphitheatre and offers the
highest-quality action throughout the Jump season.
Cheltenham
Racecourse is part of The Jockey Club, which has been at the heart of British
racing for more than 260 years. Today the largest commercial group in the
sport, The Jockey Club runs the largest racecourse group in the UK by turnover
(2012: £142.1m), courses (15) including those at Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom
Downs and Newmarket, attendances (2012: 1.8m), total prize money (2012:
£35.3m), contribution to prize money (2012: £16.5m) and quality racing (Group
and Graded races); more than 3,000 acres of world-class training grounds in
Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud breeding enterprise and education
provider; and the charity for racing's people in need, Racing Welfare. Governed
by Royal Charter, every penny The Jockey Club makes it puts back into British
racing. More information is available at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk 
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