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Little Josh Bidding for More Cheltenham Glory on Festival Trials Day 25/01/11

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is looking forward to seeing this season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Little Josh return to Cheltenham for Festival Trials Day this Saturday, January 29.

Little Josh
© racing-images.co.uk

Little Josh

The nine-year-old, owned by professional poker player and Brighton FC chairman Tony Bloom, gave the trainer’s son Sam Twiston-Davies one of the biggest thrills of his fledgling riding career when powering up the hill to take the highlight of The Open on November 13.

Horse and jockey returned to Cheltenham the following month to come home fifth behind leading Ryanair Chase contender Poquelin in the Vote AP Gold Cup at The International on December 11.

Little Josh has a choice of entries on Festival Trials Day, and he could take his chance in the day’s feature contest, the £90,000 Grade Two Argento Chase (2.30pm), over an extended three miles and a furlong, which his trainer captured in 2008 with Knowhere.

His alternative engagement is the £40,000 Grade Three Murphy Group Chase (2.00pm), a handicap run over the same two miles and five furlongs as the Vote AP Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase at The Festival, in which he also holds an entry.

Twiston-Davies revealed: “We gave Little Josh an entry in both races and I will have a chat with the owners before deciding which race to go for.

“He is in really good form at the moment and I think that he ran very well in the Vote AP Gold Cup. He had been raised 9lb after winning the BetVictor Gold Cup and he maybe just didn’t quite have the sparkle that he had at The Open, but he still ran a fine race.

Mahogany Blaze
© racing-images.co.uk

Mahogany Blaze

“We would be stepping back up in trip if we went for the Argento Chase but he would be near the top of the weights if he went for the Murphy Group Chase, in which we have also entered Mahogany Blaze.

“It’s a question of looking and seeing what else is likely to run. Little Josh certainly wouldn’t mind the forecast good to soft ground and he is in very good order at the moment.”

The Argento Chase is a leading pointer to Festival glory and subsequent totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Master Oats (1995) See More Business (1999) and Looks Like Trouble (2000) have all used the contest as a springboard for victory in chasing’s blue riband.

Last year’s renewal was won by the Paul Nicholls-trained Taranis, who had previously been victorious in the Ryanair Chase at The Festival in 2007. The 10-year-old may bid to defend his crown this weekend and he could be joined by stable companions Neptune Collonges, a dual Grade One winner who took third in the 2008 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, and The Tother One

Paul Webber is set to let exciting novice Time For Rupert take on seasoned opposition for the first time and last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle runner-up boasts an impressive 100 per cent strike rate this season at Cheltenham following two impressive wins at The Open and The International.

Punchestowns has also finished second in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old has since gone on to Grade One glory over fences, while Tidal Bay, who won The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at The Festival in 2008, chased home reigning totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Imperial Commander in the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.

Other notable entries include the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National winner Mon Mome, who was third in last year’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup for Venetia Williams, and the David Pipe-trained Madison Du Berlais, who has twice been victorious in Grade Two company. The Sawyer, successful in last season’s Murphy Group Chase for Bob Buckler, completes the entry.

A total of 22 entries for the Murphy Group Chase include the Paul Nicholls-trained Noland, who triumphed in the Grade One Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival in 2006 before going on to Grade One glory over fences in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in December, 2008. Calgary Bay, successful in the Grade Two Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham for Henrietta Knight in January, 2009, and the Philip Hobbs-trained pair of Wishfull Thinking and Chance du Roy are also possible starters.

Saturday’s seven-race card also includes the £40,000 Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle (3.35pm) and the three-mile contest provides the ideal stepping-stone to the Ladbrokes World Hurdle over the course and distance at The Festival.

Dual Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner Big Buck’s took the race in 2009 en route to his first Festival success two months later, while the great triple Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever, trained by Johnson, triumphed in the 2008 Cleeve Hurdle.

A superb entry of 19 includes the David Pipe-trained Grands Crus, who is currently second favourite for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle following facile handicap victories at The Open and at Haydock in November.

Restless Harry, who took the Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle for trainer Robert Dickin at last year’s Festival Trials Day, has also been entered alongside the Philip Hobbs-trained Fair Along, a five-time Grade Two scorer, and Bensalem, who was runner-up in the Grade One Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle at last year’s Punchestown Festival for trainer Alan King. Last year’s Grade Three Coral Cup victor Spirit River, from the stable of Nicky Henderson, could revert to the smaller obstacles after failing to shine in two appearances over fences this term.

The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle (3.05pm) also looks set to yield plenty of Festival clues with Grade One Challow Hurdle winner Backspin, representing local handler Jonjo O’Neill, among 16 entries for the extended two and a half mile contest.

Champion Court, successful in the Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at The Open, may return to Cheltenham for trainer Martin Keighley, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Rock On Ruby, could also head back to Prestbury Park having taken the Listed Cleanevent Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at the same meeting.

Festival Trials Day kicks off at 12.55pm with the £22,500 Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial and an entry of 12 for the extended two-mile contest includes the Nicky Henderson-trained Grandouet, who could make a quick reappearance after posting a facile victory at Ascot on Saturday.

Alan King, who sent out subsequent JCB Triumph Hurdle and Stan James Champion Hurdle winner Katchit to victory in this race four years ago, may this year be represented by Grade One Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle third Smad Place, while Jennie Candlish has entered her impressive Listed winner Maoi Chinn Tire.

Grade Two winners Wishfull Thinking and Cois Farraig feature among 17 entries for the £20,000 Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.30pm) over two miles, five furlongs, while the concluding two-mile, one-furlong £15,000 Stellar Football ‘End of Transfer Window’ Handicap Hurdle (4.10pm) has attracted an entry of 28.

 

GOING

The going at Cheltenham is currently: GOOD TO SOFT

Simon Claisse, Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing at Cheltenham, commented: “The forecast is for some light rain from today through to Wednesday with the chance of some sharp frosts towards the end of the week.

“Both the chase and hurdle courses will be covered with frost protection on Wednesday.

“I am delighted with the entries for Festival Trials Day which have great strength in depth. The Argento Chase has all the horses you would hope to see and the Cleeve Hurdle should prove to be a strong renewal.”

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