racing_news/

Lord Generous Aiming to Follow in Family Footsteps at Cheltenham
09/12/09

Fledgling trainer Andy Boxhall is aiming for a first success at Cheltenham with the impeccably bred Lord Generous, who is set to take his chance in the three-mile £30,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (1.50pm), part of a superb seven-race card on the second day of the Boylesports International on Saturday, December 12.

The five-year-old’s dam is the top-class hurdler Lady Rebecca, whose seven victories at Cheltenham included a hat-trick of wins in the Cleeve Hurdle between 1999 and 2001.

Lord Generous made a winning first appearance at Prestbury Park when taking a Listed bumper for former handler Helen Lewis on New Year’s Day in 2008 and is chasing a third successive victory in novices’ hurdle company after making a promising start to the season for Boxhall, who began training from leading owner Dai Walters’ state of the art facilities near Cardiff earlier this year.

After posting an easy 11-length victory in an extended three-mile contest at Warwick on November 4, he followed up with an equally impressive success under a penalty over the same distance at Southwell on December 1, making all of the running to beat Chamirey by a length and a half.

Boxhall today reported: “Lord Generous is an intended runner in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. We were very pleased with his run at Southwell - I just wanted him to win comfortably enough, like he had done at Warwick the time before, and he did it well.

“He defied a penalty there and he had some good horses finish behind him. He has gone up 10lb for that victory, which I was half expecting, but I can still see him running well in Grade Two company.

“He has won a Listed bumper at Cheltenham, so he knows his way round the course, and he came out of his Southwell win in good shape. I think that he is improving all the time and I am hopeful of a good run. I would love to get Tony McCoy back on board - he’s two wins from two starts on him - and it would be nice if he could take the ride again.

“The dam was very good round Cheltenham and it would be great if some of that ability rubbed off on Lord Generous. There is the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival to think about but we will see how he fares when he steps up in class on Saturday before making any plans.”

Lord Generous looks set to face some stiff opposition in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, with the 15 entries including the Tom George-trained Tell Massini, who may return to Cheltenham following a convincing eight-length success in the Grade Two Cleanevent Novices' Hurdle at The Open.

Mon Mome

A fascinating contest may also feature last year’s Grand National victor Mon Mome, who could make a rare appearance over the smaller obstacles for Venetia Williams, and the Henry Daly-trained Possol, who is also better known for his exploits over fences but was an easy winner of a novice hurdle at Ascot on his most recent outing.

Other notable contenders include recent Sandown Grade Two runner-up Like Minded, representing champion trainer Paul Nicholls, the Howard Johnson-trained The Knoxs, successful on his only start over hurdles, and Irish raider Shinrock Paddy, who landed a Listed bumper at The Open last year for Paul Nolan.

Zaynar
© racing-images.co.uk

Saturday’s action also includes the Grade Two Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle (3.40pm), which is set to feature last season’s Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle victor Zaynar. The Nicky Henderson-trained four-year-old made an impressive seasonal return when sauntering to a six-length victory in the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle on November 21.

A total of eight entries for the extended two and a half-mile contest also includes the Alan King-trainer pair of Shalone, who is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, and Ascot Hurdle runner-up Karabak, who was also second in the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival in March.

Malcolm Jefferson may be represented by Cape Tribulation, a Grade Two winner at Doncaster last season, while Sheena West has entered Golan Way, who triumphed in the Grade Two Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham’s Open meeting in November, 2008.

The potential line-up is completed by the Alan Jones-trained Secret Dancer, who was third in this year’s Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, as well as Night Orbit and Me Julie, who hail from the yards of Julia Feilden and Arthur Whiting respectively.

Cheltenham also hosts one of the season’s top Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Trials on Saturday in the shape of the two mile, one furlong £150,000 Grade Two Boylesports.com International (3.05pm) as well as the prestigious £150,000 Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup (2.25pm) over two miles, five furlongs.

GOING

The going at Cheltenham is currently Good to Soft, Soft in Places on both the Chase and Hurdles Course and the Cross Country Course.

After 4.8 millimetres of rain in the past 24 hours, a further 7-9 millimetres is expected over the next two days, with the remainder of the week set to be dry and colder.

Racing takes place on the New Course at the Boylesports International, utilising ground that has not been raced on for seven months.