THE Carolina Cup highlights the steeplechase action over the weekend. The revamped spring meet added the longtime fall feature, the Colonial Cup, to its card, providing back-to-back stakes at the South Carolina oval. The $75,000 Carolina Cup is restricted to novices while the $150,000 Colonial Cup is for open stakes horses.

Irish-breds are well represented in each. Taper Tantrum makes his American debut in the Carolina Cup for Jonathan Sheppard. The son of Azamour won twice over hurdles and twice on the flat for Michael Bell. Lachares failed to hit the board in three starts last fall after exiting Ellmarie Holden’s stable.

British-bred, Irish-raced Daneking makes his first start out of Willie Mullins’ yard, the nine-year-old hasn’t run since finishing second at Thurles in November, 2015. New Member ran well in four starts last year for Jack Fisher, the son of Alhaarth is the pick.

“He ran well last summer and fall and has improved quite a bit this winter,” Fisher said. “You never know first time out in the spring but he’s doing well.”

COLONIAL

As for the Colonial Cup, Irish-bred Show Court and Swansea Mile loom large make in the six-horse field. Show Court won a Saratoga stakes last summer for trainer Arch Kingsley, he prepped with a flat spin last week. Swansea Mile won an open Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga for Ricky Hendriks last summer. British-bred, Irish-raced Zanjabeel won a novice stakes for Gordon Elliott at Far Hills in the fall and came right back to win another one for Hendriks.

Beyond the two big ones, Irish-breds Belisarius, Sarah Joyce, Laser Light and Barnacle Bill are entered on the undercard.