A STRONG entry of 52 (up from 45 in 2014) has been unveiled for the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 14th.
Trainer David Pipe sent out the 2011 Paddy Power Gold Cup victor Great Endeavour, while his father Martin was responsible for a record eight winners of the race between 1987 and 2005. There are four entries from the Nicholashayne stable, on the Devon/Somerset border, this year including Paddy Power's 7/1 favourite Kings Palace, who won three of his four starts over fences last season including two races at Cheltenham.
Pipe has also entered Monetaire (10/1 with Paddy Power), who was runner-up in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at the Festival in March, the 2013 StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle victor Dell' Arca (20/1) and La Vaticane (25/), a multiple winner in France.
Last Saturday's Cheltenham winner Boondooma (12/1) looks a progressive performer and his trainer Dr Richard Newland is keen to run the horse in the Paddy Power.
Newland said: "Boondooma came out of his win at the weekend well and the plan is to come back to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
"I was very pleased to see him settle better in his race on Saturday. I think two and a half miles should work for him, providing he doesn't do too much in the first half of the race.
"I think softer ground suits him best. He is up to 154 in the ratings now, which is a bit scary, but I think this year's Paddy Power Gold Cup looks likely to attract some good horses at the top of the handicap."
Also on the 12/1 mark is Present View (Jamie Snowden), a close third in 2014, while Johns Spirit (Jonjo O'Neill, 14/1) finished the head runner-up last year having won the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2013.
Others on offer at 14/1 with Paddy Power are Oscar Rock (Malcolm Jefferson), who is set to head straight to the race following an impressive Listed win at Market Rasen last month, and Irish Cavalier (Rebecca Curtis), who landed the Listed CHAPS Restaurants Barbados Novices' Handicap Chase at the Festival last season and won on his seasonal return in an intermediate chase at Newton Abbot on October 9th.
Last year's Paddy Power Gold Cup went the way of the Caid Du Berlais, who gave trainer Paul Nicholls his second winner of the race following Al Ferof in 2012. The champion Jump trainer has made seven entries this time around including Sound Investment (16/1), who landed the Grade 2 Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 25. Nicholls' other entries are likely top-weight Mr Mole (20/1) dual Grade 2 scorer Ptit Zig (20/1), Art Mauresque (20/1), Vibralto Valtat (25/1), Easter Day (25/1) and Salubrious (25/1)
There are eight Irish-trained entries in 2015. Four of these hail from the all-conquering Willie Mullins yard including the Grade 1 winner Gitane Du Berlais (25/1), the 2014 RSA Chase fourth Ballycasey (20/1) and recent impressive Limerick handicap scorer Devils Bride (25/1). Other Irish-trained entries include Shanpallas (Charlies Byrnes, 25/1), a close sixth in 2014, and the Gordon Elliott-trained Clarcam (201/1), successful in Grade 1 company at Aintree in April.
Weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, for which a maximum field of 20 can go to post, will be revealed next Wednesday, November 4th.
THE PADDY POWER GOLD CUP
Grade 3 handicap chase, £160,000 total prize fund. Saturday, November 14, 2m 4f 78y. For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after November 1, a winner of a chase 5lb; no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 27, entries revealed October 28 (52 entries), weights revealed November 4, five-day confirmations November 9, final declarations November 12. Maximum field 20 runners.
Horse Age Owner Trainer
AFRICAN GOLD (IRE) 7 Walters Plant, J & J Potter & Egan Nigel Twiston-Davies
ALELCHI INOIS (FR) 7 Mrs M McMahon Willie Mullins IRE
ANNACOTTY (IRE) 7 Mrs Peter Prowting Alan King
ART MAURESQUE (FR) 5 Mrs Johnny de la Hey Paul Nicholls
ASTRACAD (FR) 9 Caroline Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies
BALLYCASEY (IRE) 8 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
BENNYS MIST (IRE) 9 Mezzone Family Venetia Williams
BLESS THE WINGS (IRE) 10 Adrian Butler/S P O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE
BOONDOOMA (IRE) 8 P Jenkins & C E Stedman Dr Richard Newland
BUYWISE (IRE) 8 T Hywel Jones Evan Williams
CLARCAM (FR) 5 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
CLOUD CREEPER (IRE) 8 Mick Fitzgerald Racing Club Philip Hobbs
COCKTAILS AT DAWN 7 Robin Geffen & Sir John Ritblat Nicky Henderson
CROCO BAY (IRE) 8 Lady Jane Grosvenor Ben Case
DARNA 9 Julie and David Martin Kim Bailey
DELL' ARCA (IRE) 6 Prof Caroline Tisdall David Pipe
DEVILS BRIDE (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
DOUBLE ROSS (IRE) 9 Options O Syndicate Nigel Twiston-Davies
EASTER DAY (FR) 7 Broughton Thermal Insulation, B Fulton Paul Nicholls
ERICHT (IRE) 9 Bridget Hanbury Nicky Henderson
GENEROUS RANSOM (IRE) 7 Sir Christopher & Lady Wates Nick Gifford
GITANE DU BERLAIS (FR) 5 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede Willie Mullins IRE
HORIZONTAL SPEED (IRE) 7 Favourites Racing Ltd David Dennis
IRISH CAVALIER (IRE) 6 A McIver Rebecca Curtis
JOHNS SPIRIT (IRE) 8 Christopher Johnston Jonjo O'Neill
KINGS PALACE (IRE) 7 Drew, George & Johnson Family David Pipe
LA VATICANE (FR) 6 Maria Bukhtoyarova David Pipe
LITTLE JON 7 R Frosell & Mrs L Taylor Nigel Twiston-Davies
MINELLA PRESENT (IRE) 6 Jane Gerard-Pearse Neil Mulholland
MONETAIRE (FR) 9 Allan Stennett David Pipe
MR MOLE (IRE) 7 J P McManus Paul Nicholls
NEXT SENSATION (IRE) 8 Mark Blandford Michael Scudamore
NO BUTS 7 Wontcostalot Partnership David Bridgwater
OSCAR ROCK (IRE) 7 & Mrs G Calder Malcolm Jefferson
PRESENT VIEW 7 Sir Chips Keswick Jamie Snowden
PTIT ZIG (FR) 6 Barry Fulton, Chris Giles & Richard Webb Paul Nicholls
PUMPED UP KICKS (IRE) 8 Grech & Parkin Dan Skelton
SALUBRIOUS (IRE) 8 The Johnson & Stewart Families Paul Nicholls
SEW ON TARGET (IRE) 10 A Selway Colin Tizzard
SHANPALLAS (IRE) 7 J P McManus Charles Byrnes IRE
SOUND INVESTMENT (IRE) 7 Owners Group 001 Paul Nicholls
SPLASH OF GINGE 7 J D Neild Nigel Twiston-Davies
TAQUIN DU SEUIL (FR) 8 Martin Broughton & Friends 1 Jonjo O'Neill
TARA ROAD 7 Nigel Morris Rebecca Curtis
TEXAS JACK (IRE) 9 Robert Watson Noel Meade IRE
THE CLOCK LEARY (IRE) 7 Brooks, Vando, Pummell, Martin & Armstrong Venetia Williams
THE GIANT BOLSTER 10 Simon Hunt & Gary Lambton David Bridgwater
THIRD INTENTION (IRE) 8 Robert and Sarah Tizzard Colin Tizzard
THOMAS CRAPPER 8 Apisukcom Robin Dickin
TURN OVER SIVOLA (FR) 8 International Plywood (Importers) Ltd Alan King
UPEPITO (FR) 7 A Brooks Dan Skelton
VIBRATO VALTAT (FR) 6 Axom XLIII Paul Nicholls
52 entries
8 Irish-trained
Paddy Power bets: 7/1 Kings Palace; 10/1 Monetaire; 12/1 Present View, Boondooma; 14/1 Johns Spirit, Oscar Rock, Irish Cavalier; 16/1 Sound Investment, Cocktails At Dawn, Thomas Crapper, Buywise; 20/1 Taquin du Seuil, Splash of Ginge, Mr Mole, Ballycasey, Little Jon, Dell Arca, Ptit Zig, Double Ross, Art Mauresque, Clarcam, Generous Ransom, Annacotty; 25/1 Ericht, Easter Day, Devils Bride, Shanpallas, La Vaticane, Darna, Salubrious, Croco Bay, The Giant Bolster, Next Sensation, Third Intention, Turn Over Sivola, Gitane du Berlais, Vibrato Valtat; 33/1 Pumped Up Kicks, Upepito, Sew On Target, Alelchi Inois, Horizontal Speed, Cloud Creeper, Astracad, No Buts, Texas Jack, The Clock Leary, Bennys Mist; 40/1 Tara Road, Minella Present; 50/1 African Gold, Bless The Wings
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