Big Buck's (2/1 favourite with Ladbrokes) features among
29 entries for the £275,000 Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle, the three-mile
hurdling championship on day three of The Festival, St Patrick's Thursday,
March 13.
The
11-year-old is undefeated in 18 starts over hurdles in Britain and captured an
unprecedented fourth consecutive Ladbrokes World Hurdle at The Festival in
2012. Injury prevented him from defending his crown in 2013, but he is on
course to return in the £60,000 Grade Two galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle at
Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day, Saturday, January 25, when he will be ridden
by Sam Twiston-Davies for the first time.
His
trainer Paul Nicholls holds a strong hand with Celestial Halo (16/1) and
Zarkandar (16/1), winners of the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival in
2008 and 2011 respectively, also engaged along with improving five-year-old Saphir
Du Rheu (12/1) and Salubrious (25/1).
Reve De
Sivola (14/1) made it back-to-back wins in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle
at Ascot on December 21, beating Salubrious decisively by 10 lengths. The Nick
Williams-trained nine-year-old has been in good form this season and also
captured a Grade One contest at Auteuil in early November. He finished fourth
in last year's Ladbrokes World Hurdle.
Williams
reported: "Reve De Sivola will definitely go for the Ladbrokes World
Hurdle. He is fine at the moment and there have been no problems since Ascot.
"I reckon he replicated his performance there from the previous year. For whatever reason, he was just full of himself that day.
"He
is one of these horses who goes through good spots and bad spots, and it just
happens to be that he comes right at Ascot. He loves the course, loves the
ground and enjoyed making the running.
"I don't know if he will have a prep run. I think last year's Cleeve Hurdle may have taken the edge off him before The Festival, but I don't like going three months without a race and you could say the run at Newbury helped him for the Ascot race - that was a 21-day gap.
"The
options are the Cleeve Hurdle (Cheltenham, January 25) and the Rendlesham
Hurdle (Haydock Park, February 15), but it depends on what other people are
doing because you don't want to meet Oscar Whisky-type horses.
"He
will run in the World Hurdle no matter what the ground is like. Obviously, it
will make a slight difference to his chance as he is better on soft ground, but
is perfectly OK on good ground."
Owner J
P McManus could be represented by At Fishers Cross (12/1), trained in
Wales by Rebecca Curtis, and Jonjo O'Neill's lightly-raced six-year-old More
Of That (6/1).
At
Fishers Cross was undefeated in six starts last season and captured the Grade
One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at The Festival, but has been let down by
his jumping in two starts this term, while More Of That completed a four-timer
when brushing aside Salubrious in the Grade Two Osborne House Relkeel Hurdle at
Cheltenham on December 14.
Willie
Mullins houses six of the 10 Irish-trained entries, with star mares Annie
Power (3/1) and Quevega (not quoted by Ladbrokes) heading the
sextet. Annie Power, also entered in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at The
Festival, is nine from nine under Rules, while Quevega has won the last five
renewals of the Grade Two OLBG Mares' Hurdle at The Festival and is likely to
go for a record six-timer this year.
Mullins
has also entered Grade One-winning hurdlers Boston Bob (8/1), Thousand
Stars (33/1) and Zaidpour (20/1), as well as French import Rubi
Ball (25/1).
The
Irish challenge could also include high-class performer Monksland (14/1),
who has been off the track for over a year, Dedigout (33/1), Mala
Beach (33/1) and Rule The World (33/1).
Ladbrokes
World Hurdle - Ladbrokes bet: 2/1 Big Buck's; 3/1 Annie
Power; 6/1 More Of That; 8/1 Boston Bob; 12/1 At Fishers Cross, Saphir Du Rheu;
14/1 Monksland, Reve De Sivola; 16/1 Celestial Halo, Zarkandar; 20/1 Fingal
Bay, Zaidpour; 25/1 Rubi Ball, Salubrious; 33/1 Cotton Mill, Dedigout, Holywell,
Mala Beach, Medinas, Meister Eckhart, Return Spring, Rule The World, Smad
Place, Thousand Stars; 50/1 Mickie, Whispering Gallery; 100/1 Awaywiththegreys,
Trustan Times. Not Quoted - Quevega EW 1/4 odds 1-2-3
About The Festival
The Festival runs from Tuesday, March 11 to Friday, March 14
inclusive and is the embodiment of everything that is great about Cheltenham.
It is four days of atmosphere, anticipation and action, played out on a
beautiful sporting arena that has no equal. The Festival features the best and
the bravest horses and jockeys, nervous and excited trainers and owners, and a
wide cast of human characters who come together every year determined to have
the time of their lives. For racing's practitioners, Festival glory provides
lifelong memories that will never fade and defines careers. Witness the sheer
elation of winning connections as they return to the cheers of the crowd and
you are seeing dreams fulfilled and years of planning and effort coming to
fruition. The Festival is one of those rare events that engages everyone who
comes into contact with it, never failing to produce award-winning drama,
enjoyment, camaraderie and sporting excellence in a cocktail for which no
hangover cure is required. It truly is a life affirming four days.
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 has been voted Britain's Racecourse of the Year for the last 10
years by members of the Racegoers Club. Please find more details at www.cheltenham.co.uk and through Twitter (@CheltenhamRaces) and
Facebook www.facebook.com/thehomeofjumpracing
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
Ladbrokes
World Hurdle
Class 1,
Grade One, £275,000 Total Prize Fund, three miles. Cheltenham,
Thursday, March 13, three miles. For four-year-olds and upwards which are
allotted a rating of 130 or more by the BHA Head of Handicapping following a
review of the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and
including March 6 - horses which are not qualified for a rating in GB, IRE or
FR may also be entered (such horses may be eligible providing the Handicapper
is satisfied that the horse's racecourse performances up to and including March
6 would merit a minimum rating of 130 - the decision of the BHA Head of
Handicapping shall be final). Weights: 4yo: 11st; 5yo+: 11st 10lb; fillies
& mares allowed 7lb. Entries closed January 14, entries revealed January 16
(29 entries). Scratchings deadline February 11, £13,750 supplementary
entry stage & six-day confirmation stage March 7, final declarations 10am,
March 11. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and
including the racing of Monday, January 13.
Form
Horse Age Owner Trainer
1111-11
ANNIE POWER (IRE) 6 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
1111-4U
AT FISHERS CROSS (IRE) 7 J P McManus Rebecca Curtis
402231 AWAYWITHTHEGREYS
(IRE) 7 Karen Bowen, Saith O Ni & The Hedonists Peter Bowen
11111/1-
BIG BUCK'S (FR) 11 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
2/11FF-1
BOSTON BOB (IRE) 9 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
426-161
CELESTIAL HALO (IRE) 10 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
3/2F0-44
COTTON MILL 7 Bloomfields John Ferguson
12F-415
DEDIGOUT (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Tony Martin IRE
112/12r-
FINGAL BAY (IRE) 8 Carol Skan Philip Hobbs
124-32U
HOLYWELL (IRE) 7 Mrs Gay Smith Jonjo O'Neill
r121-23
MALA BEACH (IRE) 6 Chris Jones Gordon Elliott
IRE
411P-22
MEDINAS (FR) 7 Frank & Hilda Bell Alan King
35/223-P
MEISTER ECKHART (IRE) 8 Atlantic Equine Alan King
1P-U511
MICKIE 6 Ludlow Racing Partnership Henry Daly
113/121-
MONKSLAND (IRE) 7 Patricia Hunt Noel Meade IRE
1-111
MORE OF THAT (IRE) 6 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
1/111/11-
QUEVEGA (FR) 10 Hammer & Trowel Syndicate Willie Mullins
IRE
4P2-121
RETURN SPRING (IRE) 7 D J Jones Philip Hobbs
42-0131
REVE DE SIVOLA (FR) 9 Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership Nick Williams
U222-23
RUBI BALL (FR) 9 SC Ecurie Madame Patrick Papot Willie Mullins IRE
12P-142
RULE THE WORLD 7 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE
115-222
SALUBRIOUS (IRE) 7 The Johnson & Stewart Families Paul Nicholls
10-5411
SAPHIR DU RHEU (FR) 5 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
3233-U1
SMAD PLACE (FR) 7 Mrs Peter Andrews Alan King
632-405
THOUSAND STARS (FR) 10 Hammer & Trowel Syndicate Willie
Mullins IRE
132-403
TRUSTAN TIMES (IRE) 8 Mrs M E Armitage & Peter Armitage Tim Easterby
11-4
WHISPERING GALLERY 8 Bloomfields John Ferguson
23-0321
ZAIDPOUR (FR) 8 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
141-222
ZARKANDAR (IRE) 7 Potensis Limited & Chris Giles Paul Nicholls
29
entries
10
Irish-trained
Timeform
Ratings for the World Hurdle (weight-adjusted)
187+
BIG BUCK'S
185p
ANNIE POWER
176
ZARKANDAR
174
CELESTIAL HALO
174
MONKSLAND
174
QUEVEGA
174
THOUSAND STARS
173
REVE DE SIVOLA
170p
MORE OF THAT
170p
SAPHIR DU RHEU
Breakdown
of Entries by Trainer
6
entries
Willie
Mullins IRE - Annie Power, Boston Bob, Quevega, Rubi Ball, Thousand Stars,
Zaidpour
5
entries
Paul
Nicholls - Big Buck's, Celestial Halo, Salubrious, Saphir Du Rheu, Zarkandar
3
entries
Alan
King - Medinas, Meister Eckhart, Smad Place
2
entries
John
Ferguson - Cotton Mill, Whispering Gallery
Philip
Hobbs - Fingal Bay, Return Spring
Jonjo
O'Neill - Holywell, More Of That
1 entry
Peter
Bowen - Awaywiththegreys
Rebecca
Curtis - At Fishers Cross
Henry
Daly - Mickie
Tim
Easterby - Trustan Times
Gordon
Elliott IRE - Mala Beach
Tony
Martin IRE - Dedigout
Noel
Meade IRE - Monksland
Mouse
Morris IRE - Rule The World
Nick
Williams - Reve De Sivola
Horses
entered in both the Stan James Champion Hurdle and the Ladbrokes World
Hurdle
Annie Power (Willie Mullins IRE)
Cotton Mill (John Ferguson)
Thousand Stars (Willie Mullins IRE)
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