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Sky Bet Chase 2009 |
Ungaro Heads to Doncaster Seeking Sky Bet Chase Revenge
19/01/09
Ungaro (12/1 with sponsor Sky Bet ) will bid to go one place better than last year when he lines up for the prestigious £85,000 Sky Bet Chase (3.25pm) over three miles at Doncaster on Saturday, January 24. The race has attracted a tremendous 41-strong entry.
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The Keith Reveley-trained 10-year-old led from two out in the 2008 renewal of the Listed chase, only to be collared in the last 75 yards by the victorious An Accordion. Ungaro subsequently finished runner-up to Cloudy Lane in the Coolfun Ltd Grimthorpe Chase, over an extra quarter mile on Town Moor in March, and Reveley is keen to see his charge bid for a deserved victory.
The Saltburn trainer revealed today: “The plan is to go to Doncaster again for the Sky Bet Chase. He was second last year and we’ll have another go. He ran well when he was second in the Grimthorpe Chase at the course last year as well, so he runs very well in these competitive handicaps there.
“We are praying for a dry week because we have horrendous weather here today. We will have to wait and see what happens through the week. We want good ground for him really, but we will have a go anyway.”
Ungaro, successful in the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton as a novice, gave his trainer cause for encouragement at Huntingdon last time. Racing over an inadequate trip of just over two and a half miles, the Sir Robert Ogden-owned gelding stayed on late behind the top-class Monet’s Garden.
Reveley opined: “The trip was on the short side for him in the Peterborough Chase last time and by the time he got going it was too late. He passed two up the run-in and galloped strongly to the line to finish fifth in what was probably a very decent race.
“He seems to be in good form and runs better on flat tracks like Doncaster - he seems to favour going right-handed but, saying that, he wasn’t inconvenienced when he was second last year and I’m sure he can run well again.”
Leyburn trainer Ferdy Murphy has three horses entered including Hot Weld, winner of both the Scottish Grand National and the Sandown Gold Cup (formerly the Whitbread) when last seen in 2007. Murphy could also be represented by the 12-year-old You’re Special, successful in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival, as well as Noir Et Vert who was fourth in that same Festival contest in 2008.
The high-class entry for the Sky Bet Chase also includes the Malcolm Jefferson-trained 8/1 joint-favourite According To Pete. Last year’s Pertemps Final third has made the perfect start to his chasing career and is unbeaten in three starts over fences.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is responsible for the other 8/1 joint-favourite Big Fella Thanks and Turko, while Nigel Twiston-Davies has engaged Irish Raptor alongside Battlecry, who was victorious in the 2008 renewal of the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle on the Sky Bet Chase card.
Jonjo O’Neill has his horses in good form and the Jackdaws Castle handler could run Fier Normand, runner-up to Stan in the Grade Three Skybet.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on January 1, as well as Thunder Rock.
Henry Daly has entered Billyvoddan, Possol, and Listed BGC Silver Cup third Alderburn, while Philip Hobbs may run 2006 Sandown Gold Cup victor Lacdoudal, Tom Sayers and Boychuk.
Also among the entries are Montgermont, Ellerslie George, Without A Doubt, The Dark Lord, Verasi, Aleron, Yardbird, Alexanderthegreat, Flyingenterprise and the 2005 Welsh National heroine L’Aventure.
The fantastic seven-race card also features the £30,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3.25pm) over three miles and half a furlong, which has attracted 20 entries.
Alan King has entered both Ascot Maiden Hurdle winner Midnight Sail and Junior. The latter was runner-up to Diamond Harry in the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle in December and had previously held the Howard Johnson-trained On Raglan Road in a Grade Two at Sandown.
Paul Nicholls has engaged the unbeaten Definity and Taunton victor Gullible Gordon, while Nicky Henderson could saddle Run For Moor.
The one Irish entry is the Paul Nolan-trained Grade Three winner Alpha Ridge, runner-up to Pandorama in a Grade Two at Navan when last seen in November.
The brilliant Chomba Womba saw off Theatre Girl to win last year’s running of the £50,000 Grade Two Bet & Watch All Horseracing At Skybet.com Mares’ Hurdle (2.15pm) and she is one of 14 entries for the extended two-mile contest.
The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old secured a brace of Grade Two victories in the autumn prior to finishing a fine third to Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular in the Grade two Boyelsports International at Ascot in December.
Racing commences at 12.35pm with the £15,000 Skyvegas.com Novices’ Chase over two miles and three furlongs.
Doncaster also races on Friday, January 23, when the six-race card starts at 1.20pm.
LATEST GOING
David Williams, Clerk Of The Course at Doncaster, said today: “We have had rain here so I have changed the going to Good to Soft. It’s going to be a mixed bag with showers expected in the coming week. We are expecting it to dip down to around freezing at night and at the moment they are forecasting a significant amount of rain on Thursday. If that happens, we could be looking at soft ground on Saturday.”
Sky Bet Prices For The Sky Bet Chase
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Big Fella Thanks 8/1, According To Pete 8/1, Possol 9/1, Alexanderthegreat 9/1, Laskari 10/1, Fier Normand 12/1, Ungaro 12/1, Alderburn 14/1, Battlecry 14/1, Aimigayle 16/1, Montgermont 16/1, Native Coral 18/1, That's Rhythm 18/1, Ellerslie George 20/1, Flying Enterprise 20/1, Aleron 20/1, Noir Et Vert 20/1, Yardbird 20/1, Thunder Rock 20/1, Without A Doubt 20/1, Boychuk 20/1, Turko 22/1, Crozan 25/1, Hot Weld 25/1, Ice Tea 25/1, L'Aventure 25/1, Lacdoudal 25/1, Lysander 25/1, Tom Sayers 25/1, Irish Raptor 28/1, The Dark Lord 28/1, Always Waining 28/1, Billyvoddan 28/1, My Immortal 33/1, Verasi 33/1, You're Special 33/1, Morgan Be 40/1, Raining Horse 50/1, Rare Society 50/1, Silly Wupple 50/1, Sweet Diversion 66/1
Each Way terms: 1/4 of odds for 1st 4 places
