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Racing News |
Martin Considering River Raid On Boylesports.com Gold Cup
25/11/06
LATEST Boylesports.com GOLD CUP BETTING
Irish trainer Tony Martin revealed today that the £150,000 Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 9, is a "big possibility" for Ross River who is currently a 10/1 chance with the sponsor following a winning seasonal debut at Punchestown on November 18.
The prestigious two mile, five furlong handicap chase has received a £40,000
prize money boost thanks to the generous support of Boylesports, Ireland's
fastest growing independent bookmaker.
The Boylesports.com Gold Cup has a high-class 47-strong entry, which
was announced yesterday, and takes place on day two of Cheltenham's mouth-watering
Boylesports International, Saturday, December 9. The weights are announced
on Wednesday, November 29.
Martin has a good 19% strike-rate with his raiders at Cheltenham over
the past five seasons and was on the mark with After Midnight in the
Royal Bank Of Canada Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at The Open
on his most recent foray earlier this month.
The County Meath handler revealed this morning: "Ross River is entered in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup. We'll have a look at the race closely and it's a big possibility.
"We just have to confirm because we haven't made our minds up yet where exactly we'll go with him. There are a couple of options at Leopardstown over Christmas so it would depend how he's treated by the English handicapper, how the race shapes up and how he is next weekend.
"He only raced last Saturday so I'd be waiting until next Saturday morning (December 2) to see how he is before committing to any plans."
Ross River fell at the eighth fence when sent off favourite for the
Grade Three Racing Post Plate over the course and distance at The Festival
in March, and made a winning seasonal bow in the Panoramic Restaurant
Handicap Chase over two and a quarter miles at Punchestown last Saturday.
Martin reported: "We were very happy with his run at Punchestown
but it wasn't a Cheltenham standard race. They were very middling horses
and there was only a handful of runners. It wasn't a run to be getting
carried away with but we were happy with him.
"He's turning 11 so his better years could be behind him but he hasn't a lot of mileage on the clock and - touch wood - his limbs seem to be in good shape so hopefully, if we can preserve them for a while longer, he should perform adequately this season.
"Our horse ran last year off 130 at The Festival, so it depends
what the handicapper decides to do with him. He's going on for 11 years
of age and coming off a win in a middling race, so I would think he'll
probably stick him in there on about 132 or 133.
"He won on heavy last time and would go on any ground, so that's never a worry with him."
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The superb entry for the Boylesports.com Gold Cup also includes the
first five home in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, headed by the winner Exotic
Dancer (10/1 with Boylesports), runner-up Vodka Bleu (8/1), third-placed
New Alco (12/1), fourth-placed Butler's Cabin (12/1) and fifth Graphic
Approach (14/1).
The Paul Nicholls-trained Taranis was well in contention when falling
two out in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Boylesports makes the five-year-old
the 5/1 market leader.
The mouth-watering entry also includes the 2005 Boylesports.com Gold
Cup victor Sir Oj, trained by Noel Meade, and the 2004 runner-up Thisthatandtother,
as well as last season's Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase victor Reveillez.
The Boylesports International stages two days of fantastic racing on
Friday, December 8, and Saturday, December 9. All races will take place
on Cheltenham's New Course, which has not been used since May.
The feature race of the great seven-race card on day two is the £200,000 Grade Two Boylesports.com International, which is one of the season's premier races for Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle candidates.
Boylesports has transformed the prize money for the two mile, one furlong
contest and is also offering a huge £200,000 bonus (£180,000
to the owner, £10,000 to the trainer & £10,000 to the
yard's stable staff) to any horse that can win the Boylesports.com International
and the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 13.
The feature race of the high-quality seven-race programme on Friday,
December 8, is the Boylepoker.com
Chase over three miles, one and a half
furlongs, which was won last year by the Paul Nicholls-trained Royal
Auclair - runner-up in the 2005 John Smith's Grand National - and this
year carries tremendous doubled prize money of £100,000.
Latest Boylesports prices for the Boylesports.com Gold Cup:
5/1 Taranis, 8/1 Vodka Bleu, 8/1 Commercial Flyer, 10/1 Exotic Dancer,
10/1 Ross River, 12/1 Billyvoddan, 12/1 Butler's Cabin, 12/1 Hasty
Prince, 12/1 New Alco, 12/1 Reveillez, 12/1 Thisthatandtother, 14/1
Cerium, 14/1 Darby Wall, 14/1 Fundamentalist, 14/1 Graphic Approach,
14/1 Kill Devil Hill, 14/1 Locksmith, 14/1 Mariah Rollins, 14/1 Sir
Oj, 16/1 Albuhera, 16/1 Bannow Strand, 16/1 Contraband, 16/1 Copsale
Lad, 16/1 Crozan, 16/1 Kandjar D'Allier, 16/1 Knowhere, 16/1 Le Volfoni,
16/1 Madison Du Berlais, 16/1 Our Ben, 16/1 Pearly Jack, 16/1 Tamarinbleu,
16/1 Wild Passion, 20/1 Bar
