racing news/

Paddy Power Gold Cup a Possible for Silverburn
27/08/08

Leading owner Paul Green has said that he would “very much like to have another crack at the Paddy Power Gold Cup” with Silverburn, although he has warned that the first big chase of the new jumps season at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 15, may come a bit soon for the Paul Nicholls-trained chaser.

Silverburn, who has won Grade 1 races over both hurdles and fences, was last seen in action when fourth behind Albertas Run in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

Speaking from his Jersey home, Green said: “The Paddy Power Gold Cup is a possible target for Silverburn, but he might come back later in the season.

“He has been a pretty sick horse with so many difficulties and he has had a major breathing operation so it's a long way to come back for November with only two months in between.

“But I'm hoping that we can run him in the Paddy Power and having won it with Very Promising [in 1986], I would very much like to have another crack at it, although I'm not getting carried away and I wouldn't get too excited about him at this stage. Knowing Paul in the way that I do, I know that he won't be rushing him for the race.

“He's not done badly over the summer, although you never know how they'll be after a serious operation, and he's back at Paul's yard now. The most important thing is to get him fit and well and then he can come back and we'll have a lot of fun with him.”

The Presenting gelding's four victories have all come on going described as soft or heavy.

“Everybody says that he does need cut and when he won the Tolworth Hurdle it was bottomless, but he's won on ground close to good so I don't know,” explained Green.

“Unfortunately for him, he is Denman's full-brother and everybody looks to him being Denman, but he's not, although he is a very, very nice horse.”

Silverburn has never won over further than an extended two and a half miles, although he was third behind Joe Lively over three miles in last season's Grade 1 Nigel Clark Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton.

Green added: “His trip is as big a mystery to everyone as it is to us and there is a feeling that he doesn't get three miles, but we've yet to find out for sure as circumstances have not been right when he's run over three miles.

“We're still in the dark and he could be a two-mile champion chaser or he could be a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse, but that could be a bit ambitious looking at the competition!”

Paddy Power spokesman Paddy Power said: “I'm starting to see various top jumps trainers hosting open days and already I'm starting to get excited about our big race. Amazingly the Pipes haven't won it for three years and David will be desperate to get on the scoresheet.”

Meanwhile Beyond Our Reach has proved popular with punters for Sunday's Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

Tommy Stack's juvenile, who finished third on her only previous outing in a Leopardstown maiden earlier this month, has been backed into 9-1 (from 12) with Paddy Power this morning. Again is 15-8 favourite with the world's friendliest bookmaker.

MOYGLARE STUD STAKES

Paddy Power: 15-8 Again, 3 Shimah, 6 Baileys Cacao, Cuis Ghaire, 8 Sugar Free, 9 Beyond Our Reach, 10 Rare Ransom, 16 Danidh Dubai, 20 Dreamtheimpossible, Marquesa, 25 bar