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Showcase Return for Orsippus
11/10/10
Grade One winner Orsippus will head to Cheltenham for the £50,000 Sportingbet.com Hurdle (3.15pm) at The Showcase on Saturday, October 16, for which 13 high-class four-year-olds have been entered.
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Saturday’s extended two-mile contest will be the gelding’s second visit to Cheltenham. Smith’s charge, nicknamed Ted at home, finished a fine third to Sanctuaire in the Grade Three Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at The Festival in March.
Smith, who has a string of 10 horses at his Kirkheaton base, revealed today: “The plan is to go to Cheltenham. He has summered extremely well; we have pampered him and he is looking magnificent. Looking around for races, there are not a lot of options for horses like him, so we have to take him down to Cheltenham.
“We will let him run and see how it goes, and then go on from there to Newcastle for the StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle at the end of November. I’m not basing his season on this Cheltenham run. We will go down there and do our best but it is a long time to March and I don’t want him fully wound up in October.
“I haven’t been too hard on him but he is a natural athlete. He is a busy little horse, even when he is turned out chasing his pals around the field, so he keeps himself fit.”
Orsippus broke his duck over hurdles at the eighth attempt when winning at Musselburgh in February, and his progress thereafter was rapid, but Smith was unsurprised by the four-year-old’s dramatic rise.
He continued: “During the cold spell last winter, when we couldn’t race, I knew what I was sitting on then, but we just had to wait. We took him to the beach and an indoor arena to keep him going. I entered him for the JCB Triumph hurdle before he had even won me a race. I didn’t do that on a whim, because it is not cheap to enter. That was a serious intention.
“I set about getting him up the handicap to give us the option of running in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, which might be considered to be a weaker race, but on the form, it doesn’t look like it was this year.
“He was a big price when he won at Aintree but I think that was because I’m a small trainer from the north. No horse gets placed at The Festival that doesn’t deserve to be there.”
Orsippus defeated JCB Triumph Hurdle runner-up Barizan when landing the Aintree Grade One. Barizan reversed the form when winning the Grade One Airshow 100 Champion 4-Y-O Hurdle at Punchestown on April 24, and the pair could clash again at Cheltenham on Saturday, with Evan Williams’ brave front-runner also among the entries.
Smith continued: “I think the travelling arrangements didn’t suit Orsippus when we went to Punchestown. He was off his food a bit and, in hindsight, I probably should have just brought him home without a run. I also think the heavily-watered ground at Punchestown didn’t help him.”
Also among the high-class entries is the Gordon Elliott-trained Grade Two winner Carlito Brigante, fourth in the JCB Triumph Hurdle and runner-up to Barizan at Punchestown, as well as the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Baccalaureate, winner of the Grade Two Betfair Finesse Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in January.
Paul Nicholls has engaged French import Royal Mix, winner of his sole hurdles start at Newbury in November, 2009, David Pipe has entered Hunterview, while Brian Ellison could run Ultimate.
Alan King has entered the highly-regarded Mille Chief, as well as Gilded Age, who defeated Orsippus at Doncaster in February before finishing sixth in both the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival and the aforementioned Punchestown contest.
Saturday's fantastic card also features the £50,000 ZEturf.com Handicap Chase (2.40pm), which has attracted 28 entries.
The Showcase is the first meeting of the season at Cheltenham, the Home of Jump Racing, and takes place on Friday, October 15, and Saturday, October 16.
Alongside seven highly competitive races each day, racegoers can also see, hear about and participate in some of the aspects of racing that are normally off-limits.
They can learn how a horse is saddled, how a fence is built or what horses get up to in their retirement. There will be opportunities to go to the start, visit the weighing room, take a look at the commentary box, go inside the parade ring and win the chance to present a trophy.
The new Racing With Style restaurant launches on Saturday, October 16. This is a great way to combine racing, top quality food as well as hair, beauty and fashion tips.
Another highlight is the Charles Owen Pony Racing Finals, two pony races which take place from 12.45pm on Saturday and feature possible star riders of the future.
The Showcase coincides with the Cheltenham Literature Festival, so racegoers can combine a visit to the races with the chance to meet a famous face or two in town. Indeed, top jockey Ruby Walsh launches his much-anticipated autobiography at Cheltenham over the weekend. Signed copies can be bought from the Arkle Bookshop on course, while there is a Brightwells Bloodstock sale at the course after racing on Friday, October 15.
GOING
Current Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
Forecast: Dry week. The course will be watered as necessary to maintain current conditions.
