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Weighting is Over for 10 Festival Handicaps 27/02/07

There is now under a fortnight to go until The Festival 2007 gets underway at Cheltenham and interest in the 10 ultra-competitive handicaps steps up a gear with the publication of the weights.

Monkerhostin
© racing-images.co.uk

Monkerhostin, trained by Philip Hobbs, heads the weights for the WILLIAM HILL TROPHY HANDICAP CHASE on 11st 12lb while the veteran course specialist Spot Thedifference is on top weight of 11st 12lb in the SPORTING INDEX HANDICAP CHASE over the cross country course which he has won over six times, including at The Festival in 2005.

Zilcash has been allotted top weight of 11st 12lb in the FRED WINTER JUVENILE NOVICES’ HANDICAP HURDLE while in the CORAL CUP French Grade One winner Zaiyad is on 11st 12lb, 13lb clear of the next horse in the handicap, the 2006 Coral Cup runner-up Strangely Brown.

Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Vodka Bleu has top weight of 12st in the FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR HANDICAP CHASE while Paul Nicholls has the first three in the handicap in the JEWSON NOVICES’ HANDICAP CHASE - Natal (11st 10lb), Turko (11st 9lb) and New Little Bric (11st 8lb).

Foreman, trained in France by Thierry Doumen tops the weights on 11st 12lb in both the RACING POST PLATE and the JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL HANDICAP CHASE.

There are joint top weights in the PERTEMPS FINAL with the Francois Doumen-trained Millenium Royal and Rhinestone Cowboy both on 11st 12lb.

Finally, Desert Quest will have to defy top weight of 11st 12lb if he is to attempt a repeat victory in the VINCENT O’BRIEN COUNTY HURDLE.

The top weights are as follows:

WILLIAM HILL TROPHY HANDICAP CHASE 11-12 Monkerhostin (Philip Hobbs)

SPORTING INDEX HANDICAP CHASE 11-12 Spot Thedifference (Enda Bolger IRE)

FRED WINTER JUVENILE NOVICES HANDICAP HURDLE 11-12 Zilcash (Alan King)

CORAL CUP 11-12 Zaiyad (Arnaud Chaille-Chaille)

FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR HANDICAP CHASE 12-00 Vodka Bleu (David Pipe)

JEWSON NOVICES’ HANDICAP CHASE 11-10 Natal (Paul Nicholls)

RACING POST PLATE (HANDICAP CHASE) 11-12 Foreman (Thierry Doumen FR)

PERTEMPS FINAL (HANDICAP HURDLE) 11-12 Millenium Royal, Rhinestone Cowboy (Francois Doumen FR, Jonjo O’Neill)

JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL HANDICAP CHASE 11-12 Foreman (Thierry Doumen FR)

VINCENT O’BRIEN COUNTY HANDICAP HURDLE 11-12 (Desert Quest)