14th
November 2013 - This year's £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.30pm) should be a
cracker with a maximum field of 20 runners set to line up in the extended two
and a half-mile handicap chase, highlight of The Open on Saturday, November 16.
The
weights are headed by three-time Grade One winner Finian's Rainbow (11st
12lb, 11/1 with Paddy Power, Barry Geraghty rides), who captured the Queen
Mother Champion Chase at The Festival in 2012.
His
trainer Nicky Henderson is also represented by another Festival winner,
Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase victor Rajdhani Express (11st 4lb
& 10/1, Mr Sam Waley-Cohen), and last year's third Nadiya de La Vega (10st
3lb & 11/1, Andrew Tinkler).
Course
winner Johns Spirit (10st 2lb, Richie McLernon), from the stable of
Jonjo O'Neill, is Paddy Power's 6/1 favourite having made an impressive
seasonal return when successful in the Equus-Fine Dining At The Festival
Handicap Chase at The Showcase on October 19.
The
heavily-backed Martin Keighley-trained Champion Court (11st 6lb &
13/2, Ian Popham) was also victorious at Cheltenham on his latest start, gamely
taking the Grade Two Macmillan Cancer Support Silver Trophy Chase at The April
Meeting.
David
Pipe, who saddled Great Endeavour to glory in 2011, relies on Byrne Group Plate
eighth Ballynagour (10st 6lb & 7/1, Tom Scudamore), while Philip
Hobbs goes with Colour Squadron (10st 2lb & 12/1, Tom O'Brien) and Wishfull
Thinking (11st 7lb & 25/1, Richard Johnson), who won the Shloer Chase
at The Open last year.
18-time
champion Jump jockey A P McCoy, who recently enjoyed his 4,000th winner which
will be marked at The Open by a Celebration Wall which racegoers can sign,
rides the Lucinda Russell-trained Tap Night (10st 12lb & 14/1) for
his retained owner J P McManus.
Attaglance (10st
& 33/1, Brian Hughes) won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap
Hurdle at The Festival in 2012 for trainer Malcolm Jefferson before following
up in another valuable handicap hurdle at Aintree the following month.
The
seven-year-old failed to shine over fences on ground softer than ideal last
term, but returned to action with a good second in a Perth novices' chase at
Perth on September 26. He is bidding to emulate Senor El Betrutti (1997) and
The Outback Way (1999), who both won the Paddy Power Gold Cup from out of the
handicap.
Jefferson
commented: "Attaglance heads to Cheltenham in good order. We had the
option of running him in the Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase at the
course on Friday, but he would have been running against higher-rated horses
off level weights.
"I
know that we are a little bit out of the handicap (6lb) in the Paddy Power Gold
Cup, but he will be getting weight all round. He likes Cheltenham and he would
be well-handicapped based on his hurdle form.
"His
run at Perth was an improvement compared to last season, when it was too wet
for him, but the ground was still a bit sticky. The going at Cheltenham should
be fine and we are hoping for a good run."
Other
notable contenders include recent Grade Two Old Roan Chase scorer Conquisto
(11st 3lb & 16/1), Grade One runner-up Tap Night (10st 12lb &
14/1) and the Irish-trained pair of Hidden Cyclone (11st 1lb & 14/1)
and Gift Of Dgab (10st 1lb & 20/1).
Paddy
Power Gold Cup - Paddy Power prices:
6/1
Johns Spirit, 13/2 Champion Court, 7/1 Ballynagour, 10/1 Rajdhani Express, 11/1
Finian's Rainbow, Nadiya De La Vega, 12/1 Colour Squadron, 14/1 Hidden Cyclone,
Tap Night, 16/1 Conquisto, Battle Group, 20/1 Vino Griego, Gift Of Dgab,
Astracad, 25/1 Carrickboy, Wishfull Thinking, Easter Meteor, Woolcombe Folly,
33/1 Attaglance, Kumbeshwar
Each
way 1/4 odds, 1-2-3-4
The
Open gets underway tomorrow (Friday, November 15) with Countryside Day, and a
six-race card includes the £45,000 Paddy Power Handicap Chase (1.35pm). A field
of 17 has been declared for the two-mile contest, including recent Aintree
handicap chase scorer Eastlake and Cheltenham Festival winner Oh
Crick.
Balthazar
King will be aiming to continue his fine Cheltenham record in the
£25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.15pm), run over three miles and
seven furlongs of the cross country course. The Philip Hobbs-trained was
successful in this race 12 months ago and completed a hat-trick of wins in the
Showcase Trophy at the course in October.
The 11
runners for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase include Chicago Grey,
who won the National Hunt Chase at the 2012 Festival and Diamond Harry,
victorious in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Cross-country specialist
Enda Bolger sends a pair of runners from Ireland in Quiscover Fontaine and
Zest For Life.
Oscar
Whisky, a dual Grade One winner over hurdles, makes his chase debut in
the £20,000 Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase (2.05pm) over an extended
two and a half miles. Nicky Henderson's charge faces three rivals including
high-class hurdler Taquin du Seuil, who made a winning start over fences
at Ffos Las.
The
£20,000 David Johnson Memorial Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm) has
attracted a field of 20 including Whisper, who scored at Cheltenham's
April Meeting, recent Kempton Park winner God's Own and the unexposed Top
Gamble.
The
racing starts with the £20,000 Opus Energy Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase
(1.05pm), which has 10 runners, while the closing £12,000 Countryside Raceday
Novices' Handicap Hurdle (3.50pm) also promises to be a highly-competitive
affair with a maximum field of 20.
Cheltenham
Racecourse to celebrate AP McCoy's 4,000 winners with the AP McCoy 4,000
Celebration Wall
AP
McCoy further cemented his position as a legend of the sport when riding his
4,000th winner at Towcester last week and to celebrate this Cheltenham
Racecourse will offer racegoers attending this weekend's Open the opportunity
to sign the newly-installed AP McCoy 4000 Celebration Wall.
The AP
Celebration Wall will be positioned in the main grandstand by the Mandarin Bar.
Club and Tattersalls racegoers are welcome to sign the wall and write a quick
message to celebrate this momentous feat.
Sophia
Brudenell, Communications Manager at Cheltenham Racecourse commented, "AP
is a legend of our sport so it was only right that Cheltenham, as the Home of
Jump racing, commemorated the amazing achievement of 4,000 winners.
The AP
Celebration Wall is a way that racegoers here at The Open can mark this
occasion, by signing the wall and writing a short message and I'm sure that it
will be really popular. The wall will then become a permanent feature in the
grandstand at Cheltenham."
Cheltenham's
new temporary Arkle Stand ready for The Open
The new
Arkle Stand, a high-quality temporary facility which will be used at Cheltenham
Racecourse up to and including The Festival in 2014 has been installed ahead of
this weekend's Open.
The
facility will replace two A&R buildings, which were brought down this
summer in preparation for the £45m development of Cheltenham, which is
scheduled to conclude ahead of The Festival in 2016. It will house a new Royal
Box as well as hospitality boxes, public bar facilities and public steppings in
front of the stand, providing enhanced viewing of the course.
The
stand is called the Arkle Stand, as The Festival in 2014 is the 50th
anniversary of the Champion's first Gold Cup win.
The
extra bar and viewing facilities will result in improved customer experience as
neither facility was available previously.
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.
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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