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Boylesports.com Gold Cup |
Maximum Field for Boylesports.com Gold Cup
10/12/09
Nicky Richards anticipates a bold show from the progressive Skippers Brig in the £150,000 Grade Three Boylesports Gold Cup (2.25pm) at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 12. A maximum field of 17 horses have stood their ground for the two-mile, five-furlong handicap chase at today’s final declaration stage. The contest also has two reserves, which can be utilised if there are any withdrawals prior to 9.00am on Friday.
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The Greystoke trainer revealed today: “Skippers Brig looks made to measure for the job to me, so let’s see how we go. I would not be going there if I was thinking any different.”
Skippers Brig (10st 11lb), a 12/1 shot with the sponsor, returned from an eight and a half-month absence when making a pleasing seasonal debut at Bangor on November 11. The eight-year-old carried top-weight that day in an extended thee-mile handicap chase and finished a close third to the smart That’s Rhythm.
Richards’ charge made it seven wins form 13 career starts on his latest outing at Ayr on December 2. Once again lumbered with 11st 12lb, Skipper’s Brig made light of his burden to register an easy success in the two and a half-mile handicap chase run on soft going.
Richards continued: “He has run two nice races this season. He ran a smashing race first time at Bangor and just blew up turning in. Then he confirmed that promise at Ayr last week and the jockey’s words were, ‘he never came out of second gear,’ so I’m pleased with him. He bounced out of that race and he seems in very good form with himself.
“If the going stick reading at Cheltenham is correct - at 6.2 yesterday - that should put it on the slower side of soft, so I would imagine it will be very similar ground to what he won on at Ayr.
“At Bangor, which I thought was quite a competitive race, they went a good even clip over three miles and he travelled well and jumped well. One thing you have to do at Cheltenham is you have to stay well.”
Richards is hoping Skippers Brig can join previous Boylesports Gold Cup winners trained by his late father Gordon at Greystoke. Titus Oates (1969), Clever Folly (1989) and Addington Boy (1996).
Gwanako, trained by Paul Nicholls, and the David Pipe-trained Our Vic share top-weight of 11st 12lb. Pipe also saddles the 2007 winner Tamarinbleu (11st 10lb), who was runner-up in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October.
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The Nicholls contingent includes current 5/1 joint-favourite Poquelin (11st 8lb), second in the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at The Open, and Chapoturgeon (11st 10lb & 6/1), who fell in that contest.
Course and distance winner Atouchbetwenacara (11st 5lb) is the other 5/1 joint-favourite and is one of two Tim Vaughan-trained runners, the other being Stan (11st 5lb).
Edward O’Grady ensured that the Paddy Power Gold Cup headed back to Ireland last month when he saddled Tranquil Sea to victory in that race and the trainer is bidding for a second major Cheltenham prize this season with 10/1 shot Sky’s The Limit (10st 13lb). Fellow Irish trainer Willie Mullins is set to run Jayo (10st 12lb)
Paddy Power Gold Cup third Hold Em (10st 5lb & 12/1) represents trainer Keith Goldsworthy, while Andrew Turnell, who rode the 1972 victor Arctic Bow, is set to saddle Bible Lord (11st & 25/1).
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The progressive Colin Tizzard-trained Mount Oscar (10st 11lb) is primed to take his chance, as are the Venetia Williams-trained Idole First (10st 7lb) and the Philip Hobbs-trained From Dawn To Dusk (10st 7lb).
THE Boylesports.com GOLD CUP
Class One, Grade Three, £150,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.25pm, Cheltenham, Saturday, December 12, 2009. For four-year-olds & upwards, two miles & five furlongs. Penalties: after November 28, a winner of a chase 5lb - no penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed November 24, entries released November 25 (45 entries), weights revealed December 2, five-day confirmation stage December 7 (32 confirmations), final declaration stage, 10.00am, December 10 (17 declarations, plus 2 reserves). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to & including the racing of Sunday, December 6.
Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) U125F-U GWANAKO (FR) 6-11-12 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls/Harry Skelton (3)
2) 11/PP4-61 OUR VIC (IRE) b11-11-12 David Johnson David Pipe/Danny Cook (3)
3) 3/2030-2 TAMARINBLEU (FR) b9-11-10 The Arthur White Partnership David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
4) 211F2-F CHAPOTURGEON (FR) 5-11-10 David Johnson Paul Nicholls/Timmy Murphy
5) 1300-12 POQUELIN (FR) 6-11-08 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh
6) 1P04PF- STAN (NZ) 10-11-05 Paul Beck Tim Vaughan/Seamus Durack
7) 1F/2F21- ATOUCHBETWEENACARA (IRE) 8-11-05 Paul Beck Tim Vaughan/Barry Geraghty
8) 100P-3P KNOWHERE (IRE) 11-11-03 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies/Noel Fehily
9) 06FF-1F BIBLE LORD (IRE) 8-11-00 Martin Tedham Andrew Turnell/Edward Cookson (7)
10) 544/30-P4 SKY'S THE LIMIT (FR) v8-10-13 Exrs of the Late Raymond Rooney Edward O'Grady IRE/Andrew McNamara
11) 1145-15 JAYO (FR) 6-10-12 Peter Garvey Willie Mullins IRE/
12) F313-01 RAZOR ROYALE (IRE) 7-10-11 Colin Cornes Nigel Twiston-Davies/Paddy Brennan
13) 25020-11 MOUNT OSCAR (IRE) t10-10-11 Jean Bishop Colin Tizzard/Joe Tizzard
14) 0//1141-31 SKIPPERS BRIG (IRE) 8-10-11 (inc 5lb ex) Ashleybank Investments Limited Nicky Richards/Brian Harding
15) 2/31/21-3 FROM DAWN TO DUSK t10-10-07 Charles Lloyd-Baker Philip Hobbs/Rhys Flint (3)
16) 1341/P0/- IDOLE FIRST (IRE) 10-10-07 D and J Racing Ltd Venetia Williams/Aidan Coleman
17) 6P0353 HOLD EM (IRE) t, c/p 7-10-05 David Hughes Mike Evans & Partners Keith Goldsworthy/Robert Thornton
RESERVES
R18) 5F-262U THE SAWYER (BEL) 9-10-05 D R Fear Bob Buckler
R19) 2162-52 SAPHIR DES BOIS (FR) 5-10-03 F Lloyd Jonjo O'Neill
17 declarations, plus 2 reserves
2 Irish-trained
