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Cross Country Specialist Oh Jackie Aiming for Cheltenham Success at The Open 05/11/08

Former international three-day-eventer Stuart Crawford has high hopes for his stable star Oh Jackie, who is set to make her Cheltenham debut in the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase (3.00pm), run over three miles and seven furlongs on the first day of The Open, Friday, November 14.

The 10-year-old mare gave Crawford his first success under rules when she ended trainer Enda Bolger’s run of 10 successive victories in Ireland’s premier cross country chase, the La Touche Cup, at the Punchestown festival in April.

Crawford was delighted to see Oh Jackie win on only her third appearance in a cross country race and hopes that she can now go on to glory at The Open, prior to a possible crack at the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase at The Festival in March.

The Co Antrim-based handler revealed: “Oh Jackie will be entered in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase and the race is a definite target for her. She’s in great form and she will hopefully make her seasonal debut in the race.

“I couldn’t have imagined that she would run so well at Punchestown. I thought she had a very realistic chance of a place but I never expected her to win the race. It was a certainly a good place to get my first winner under rules! I am sure that Enda was disappointed at losing, but he was the first man to come over and congratulate me.

“She had a few runs under rules before I got her in late 2005 and then she spent a season doing eventing. We gave her three or four point-to-point runs and they were great chances to get her freshened up and it definitely helped.

“She was getting balloted out of races early on in her career and, when she did get a run, she was coming up against some good horses. If you look at the bare form of those races, then it looks very ordinary, but if you look at the standard of the opposition, then she’s run some very respectable races.

“We decided to run her in a few point-to-points and get her confidence up against some weaker opposition. I couldn’t see her getting beat on her first start between the flags and she duly hacked up by eight lengths at Tyrella in March, 2007.

“I was going to enter her in the Grade One chase at Down Royal over the weekend because the race has recently been contested by a couple of really top class horses but there is normally only five or six runners and there is good prize money. I thought she could have been in the first four but, in the end, I was keener to wait and go to Cheltenham with her.”

Crawford is also keen on the possibility of Oh Jackie racing in all five cross country races in the Glenfarclas series. The series, backed by the family-owned producers of award winning Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, includes all three of Cheltenham’s cross country races as well as races at Pau in February and Punchestown in February. .

Any horse remaining in the same ownership and participating in both the French and Irish legs of the series, will be eligible to run at The Festival for double prize money.

Crawford continued: “I would definitely be interested in running her in the other races in the Glenfarclas series. She loves Punchestown and we will see how she gets on with the Cheltenham course at The Open. I can vaguely remember the course at Pau from my eventing days and I would certainly view the bonus as winnable.

“He whole season will be aimed around the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at The Festival in March and I hope that she can get a good feel for Cheltenham at The Open.”

The Open at Cheltenham is one of the highlights of the Jump season, showcasing three days of fantastic racing at Prestbury Park.

The main event of the three-day meeting is the £150,000 Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.35pm) over an extended two and a half miles, which takes place on Saturday, November 15, while Sunday features the £100,000 Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle (2.20pm) over an extended two miles.

Meeting - The Open, Cheltenham Racecourse
Dates - Friday, November 14, Saturday, November 15 & Sunday, November 16
First race - 1.15pm Friday, 12.50pm Saturday, 1.10pm Sunday
Admission prices - from £9; accompanied children under 16 admitted FREE to all enclosures. Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793 003.