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Three Former Winners Head Entry of 34 for totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup 12/01/11
This year’s renewal of the Grade One totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, which has record prize money of £500,000, looks set to be another pulsating affair with the last three winners featuring among the 34 entries for the extended three and a quarter-mile chase, highlight of the fourth and final day of The Festival, Friday, March 18.
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Kauto Star, who became the first horse to regain the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2009 after a first success in 2007, fell when still in contention four fences out last season, and the evergreen 11-year-old returned to form with an incredible 14th Grade One win at Down Royal in November. Trainer Paul Nicholls and owner Clive Smith will be hoping that Kauto Star can add to his tally of top-level victories when he contests the rearranged William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Saturday 15th January 2011 - a race he has made his own over the past four seasons.
Nicholls, who is bidding to join Arkle’s trainer Tom Dreaper in winning the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup for a record fifth time, has also entered the 2008 winner and fellow 11-year-old Denman, who proved that he is still one of the top chasers around when coming home third behind the Nick Williams-trained Diamond Harry, to whom he was conceding 26lb, in the Grade Three Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November. Both Denman and Kauto Star are bidding to become the oldest winner of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup since 12-year-old What A Myth prevailed in 1969.
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The seven entries from the champion Jump trainer also feature What A Friend, twice successful in Grade One company last term and The Nightingale, who was the convincing winner of a Grade Two chase at Down Royal on his seasonal return in November. Noland and Neptune Collonges, who have both been victorious in Grade One company, and recent Newbury scorer Pride Of Dulcote complete a formidable challenge from the Somerset handler.
A total of nine Irish-trained entries include Pandorama, who posted an impressive victory in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28. The Noel Meade-trained eight-year-old also recorded a pair of Grade One successes as a novice last season and suffered his only defeat over fences when pulled up behind Diamond Harry at Newbury in November.
Meade revealed: “Pandorama will hopefully head to Cheltenham providing he is fit and well, although we wouldn’t run him on good going. Good to soft ground would be OK and we would love to run him in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“He has come out of his victory in the Lexus Chase in very good form and we have always thought that he was capable of winning a big race like that. He would obviously have to improve again to have a chance at Cheltenham but he is still a young chaser.
“In the Hennessy at Newbury, he stood back at the first ditch and landed right in front of the fence. Two horses fell in front of him two fences later – the fright early on added to the two horses falling completely unnerved him and there was no point continuing. He has generally been a good jumper and we hoped that he would learn from that experience and won’t do it again.
“So he has really only had four runs over fences and you would be hopeful that there is more to come from him. The plan is for him to run in the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown at the start of February and then, fingers crossed, he will go to Cheltenham.”
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Other notable Irish-trained contenders include Sizing Europe, who gave trainer Henry de Bromhead a first Festival success last year when taking The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase. Mouse Morris, who sent over the last Irish-trained winner of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, War Of Attrition, in 2006, may be represented by Grade Two scorer China Rock, while Paul Nolan has entered dual Grade One winner Joncol. A trio of entries from Willie Mullins features the 2009 RSA Chase winner Cooldine as well as Grade One victors Barker and Kempes.
Despite being the leading current trainer at The Festival, Nicky Henderson has yet to taste victory in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup but the Lambourn handler looks set to have a strong hand this year with last season’s emphatic Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase scorer Long Run, due to be Kauto Star’s main danger at Kempton this weekend, and Grade One winner Punchestowns.
Midnight Chase has excelled around Cheltenham this season with three consecutive victories for his handler Neil Mulholland, while exciting novice Time For Rupert, from the stable of Paul Webber, could also bid to enhance his perfect record over fences at Prestbury Park, having recorded a pair of eight-length successes at The Open and The International.
