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Racing News |
Fair Along Set to Put Festival Claims on Trial at Cheltenham
20/01/09
Trainer Philip Hobbs is hoping that the talented Fair Along can book his place in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle with a good run in the £60,000 Grade Two Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle (3.45pm) at Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day on Saturday, January 24.
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On his latest appearance at the Boylesports International on December 12, Fair Along produced another front-running display to take the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle under top weight, beating Don’t Push It by six lengths.
Minehead-based Hobbs commented: “We’ve entered Fair Along in the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle and he is a likely runner in the race at the moment. He seems in grand order and he’s come out of his latest run at Cheltenham in good form.
“Rhys Flint will not be riding him because he’s unable to claim in a Grade Two race, so Richard Johnson will in the saddle. He’s got form on soft ground so I wouldn’t be concerned about the going, even though it’s not ideal for him.
“He’s rated 163 over hurdles at the moment which is high enough to warrant him running in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. It’s very much the plan to give him a run on Saturday and then return for The Festival, providing things go all right in the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle.”
If he were to line-up in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, Fair Along would be making his fourth consecutive appearance at The Festival, having been runner-up in both the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2006 and The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase in 2007, while he finished third behind Master Minded and Voy Por Ustedes in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase last season.
The Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle has attracted a top quality entry of 10, including the 2007 winner Blazing Bailey, who was second to Inglis Drever in the three-mile contest 12 months ago, and the current ante-post favourite for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle Punchestowns, who followed up victory under top-weight in the Cotswold Style Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at The Open in November with an 11-length success in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot the following month.
Howard Johnson may bid for back-to-back victories in the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle with the 2005 Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle winner No Refuge, while Big Buck’s could return to Cheltenham following a good victory in the Unicoin Homes Handicap Hurdle, where he conceded weight to all of his 11 rivals, including the dual Grade Two scorer Tazbar.
Grade One winner Lough Derg could make a quick reappearance after defying top-weight to land the Grade Two Holloway’s Hurdle at Ascot on January 17. The David Pipe-trained nine-year-old had previously posted another game display when rallying to beat No Refuge in the Steel Plate And Sections Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
The entry is completed by the 2007 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup third Turpin Green and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained pair of Amber Brook and Pettifour, who was successful in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April.
Festival Trials Day also features the £100,000 Grade Two Letheby & Christopher Chase (2.35pm), one of the key pointers for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. An entry of 16 includes Halcon Genelardais, Exotic Dancer and Knowhere, who were fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in chasing’s Blue Riband last year, as well as previous Festival winners Monkerhostin, Tidal Bay, Albertas Run and Star De Mohaison.
Some of the leading novice hurdlers will also be hoping to further their Festival ambitions in the £30,000 Grade Two Racecourse Of The Year Classic Novices’ Hurdle (12.55pm), and the £30,000 Grade Two Wragge & Co Finesse Juvenile Novice’ Hurdle (3.10pm).
The seven-race card also includes some competitive handicap action courtesy of the £60,000 Grade Three Betchronicle.com Trophy Chase (2.05pm), the £25,000 Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.30pm) and the £25,000 Brightwells Cheltenham Bloodstock Auctions Handicap Hurdle (4.20pm).
Meeting - Festival Trials Day, Saturday, January 24
Gates Open - 10.30am
First race - 12.55pm
Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793003
