Racing returns to Cheltenham on Friday, October 18, with a seven-race card on
Day One of The Showcase set to feature plenty of horses to follow over the
coming months.
The New One captured the opening £17,000 Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle (2.10pm) last season before returning to win the
Grade One bearing the same name at The Festival in March.
A total of 18 entries for the two mile, five furlong contest
this year include a pair of contenders from The New One's trainer, Nigel
Twiston-Davies, headed by Pure Science, who was sixth in the Weatherbys
Champion Bumper at The Festival last season.
Exciting point-to-point graduates Cloud Brook and Minella
Friend could line up for Rebecca Curtis and Evan Williams respectively,
while the Paul Nicholls-trained Saint Roque may bid for a fourth
consecutive win over hurdles.
Following a record 14 Irish-trained winners at The Festival
in March, County Cork-based handler Michael Winters will be aiming to
continue Ireland's superb record at the Home of Jump Racing with Rebel Fitz,
who features in 14 entries for the £20,000 Cheltenham Annual Members Novices'
Chase (2.40pm) over two and a half miles.
The 2012 Galway Hurdle winner has already established
himself as a leading contender for top honours this season with five wins over
fences, most recently when sauntering to victory in a Grade Three Like A
Butterfly Novice Chase at Tipperary on October 6.
Winters revealed:
"Rebel Fitz will travel over at the start of the week and will run at
Cheltenham, providing the ground is not too fast.
"He has come out of Tipperary in strapping form. He
sweated an awful lot during the race but Barry Geraghty came back and said that
he could have gone round again, so he really had no race at all.
"He would sometimes be a bit too smart and think a
little when going over a hurdle but he has been very clever over fences so far
and we have been delighted with him.
"Barry says that two and a half miles is his best trip.
Down the road, we will have to wait and see what opposition comes up over the
winter in Ireland and Britain but, at the moment, it seems that two and a half
is the best for him.
"We will give him a bit of time after Cheltenham and we
won't be in a hurry afterwards. We will get home, have a good look at him and
freshen him back up. He's not a hard horse to train in a lot of ways because he
doesn't take a lot of work to get fit.
"It is exciting for the owner to have a runner at
Cheltenham and there is always a bit of rivalry between England and Ireland. If
everything goes right this season, we can hopefully bring him back for The
Festival in March."
Rebel Fitz could face stiff opposition from Third
Intention, who was beaten a neck in a Grade One novices' chase at Sandown
in February, and Colour Squadron, who has twice been second in Grade One
company over hurdles.
The £20,000 Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (3.15pm) over
three miles represents the first of 20 qualifiers for the £80,000 Pertemps
Final at The Festival, with 27 entries including Grade Two winners Cross
Kennon and Restless Harry plus Rare Bob, who was fifth in the
Crabbie's Grand National in April.
Paul Nicholls has won three of the past seven renewals of
the £20,000 Ryman Stationery Cheltenham Business Club Novices' Chase (3.50pm)
and the Ditcheat trainer could this year be represented by Oscargo, who
features among 16 entries for the extended three-mile contest.
The £10,000 Jack Dee Here on 31st October Maiden Hurdle
(4.25pm, 23 entries) over an extended two miles could see Regal Encore
return to Cheltenham after finishing second in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Aspiring jockeys take centre stage for the final two races -
the Fine & Country North Cotswolds Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase (5.00pm,
24 entries) and the Rewards4Racing Rewarding Your Passion Conditional Jockeys'
Handicap Hurdle (5.30pm, 26 entries).
Ground
The Going at Cheltenham is currently Good, Good to Firm
in places (Watered)
Simon Claisse, Head of Racing, South West Region &
Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course, commented: "The forecast is unsettled
with up to 12 millimetres of rain expected prior to racing on Friday.
"Watering commenced at the beginning of September, with applications of between 35 and 50 millimetres per week, and will continue depending on the forecast rain."
About The Showcase
Cheltenham's October meeting was renamed The Showcase in
2007 and moved to its present Friday/Saturday slot. The popular two-day
meeting, takes place on October 18 and 19, offering record prize money of
£288,000 (up from £275,000 last year). The Showcase is a natural starting point
for horses returning from their summer breaks and is often used in preparation
for The Open (Friday, November 15 - Sunday, November 17 inclusive) at
Cheltenham. Saturday's card is headlined by two £50,000 handicap chases - the
Equus-Fine Dining At Festival Handicap Chase (2.35pm), which takes place over a
similar distance as the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at The Open, plus the
Showcase Trophy Handicap Chase (3.45pm), run over an extended three miles.
The Showcase gives racegoers the chance to go behind the
scenes and find about more about Cheltenham and Jump Racing. There will be
guided tours of the Parade Ring and Weighing Room before racing, as well as
various activities and displays in Hurdlers' Hall.
The gates open at noon on both days. The first race is at
2.10pm on Friday and 2.00pm on Saturday. 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.
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