The third race in Neptune
Investment Management's eight-race Road To Cheltenham series of novices'
hurdles takes place at Sandown Park this Friday, December 6.
The £28,000 Grade Two
Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle is staged over two and a half
miles and has attracted 10 entries, including the Paul Nicholls-trained Saint
Roque.
A seven-year-old son of
Lavirco, Saint Roque won the first race in the series at Cheltenham on October
18, when he battled well in the closing stages to defeat Rum And Butter by half
a length. Saint Roque won his three races prior to Cheltenham, scoring at
Fontwell, Worcester and Newton Abbot during the summer months.
Paul Nicholls reported:
"If the weather stays dry for the rest of the week, Saint Roque will run
at Sandown Park in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle because he
needs good ground.
"I haven't run him
since he won at Cheltenham in October because he is at his best when racing
fresh. He has won four races now, so is not that easy to place.
"He is very well and
I am looking forward to running him again."
Nicholls has won this race
three times in the past, including with subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner
See More Business in 1995 and with future Grand National scorer Neptune
Collonges in 2005.
Champion trainer Nicky
Henderson could be represented by Beat That, a 10-length winner on his
hurdling debut at Ascot on November 22, and the J P McManus-owned Captain
Cutter, who won by the same distance at Kempton Park on November 4.
Ballyalton could reappear quickly,
having taken the scalp of the highly-regarded Oscar Rock at Newcastle on
Saturday, while Jonjo O'Neill, who scored last year with Taquin de Seuil, has
entered dual hurdle victor Oscar Fortune.
Other notable entries
include Irish Cavalier, who is seeking a four-timer for trainer Rebecca
Curtis, and the Charlie Longsdon-trained pair of Hannibal The Great and Killala
Quay.
About the series
The Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle series consists of eight races throughout the Jump
season, culminating with the Grade One Neptune Investment Management Novices'
Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
It has proved not only an
outstanding showcase for young hurdling talent but also a stepping stone to
those that go on to shine at the highest level in open company, whether over
hurdles or fences.
The Cheltenham Festival
winners under Neptune Investment Management's sponsorship are The New One
(2013), Simonsig (2012), First Lieutenant (2011) and Peddlers Cross (2010),
while winners of the series races include last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup
hero Bobs Worth.
Now one of the leading
corporate sponsors of British racing, Neptune has increased its sponsorship
portfolio to include four races on the Flat in the summer, including two of the
most prestigious trials for the Ladbrokes St Leger, the Gordon Stakes at
Goodwood and the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
2013/14 Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle Series
Friday, October 18, 2013 -
Cheltenham - Won by Saint Roque, owned by Chris Giles & Ian Fogg,
trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob.
Saturday, November 16,
2013 - Cheltenham - Won by Creepy, owned by Mark Boothright, T Hanlon
and S Harman, trained by Martin Keighley and ridden by Ian Popham.
Friday, December 6, 2013 -
Sandown
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
- Cheltenham
Saturday, January 11, 2014
- Warwick
Saturday, January 25, 2014
- Cheltenham
Saturday, February 15,
2014 - Ascot
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