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| Ryanair Chase - Thursday March 18th 2010 |
cheltenham festival / 2010 news /
Ryanair Chase Attracts 43 Entries
14/01/10
This year’s Grade One Ryanair Chase, which carries record prize money of £250,000, has attracted a superb entry of 43.
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Paul Nicholls, successful in the race with Thisthatandtother (2005) and Taranis (2007), looks set to have another strong hand in this year’s renewal with Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup victor Poquelin among his five entries.
The champion trainer has also entered Grade One winner Herecomesthetruth, last season’s Listed Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase winner Chapoturgeon, Takeroc and Gwanako, who was fifth in last year’s Ryanair Chase.
Imperial Commander landed the spoils in this race last year for local handler Nigel Twiston-Davies and the nine-year-old could re-oppose the second, the Alan King-trained Voy Por Ustedes, who went down by three lengths.
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Nicky Henderson saddled Fondmort to victory in the 2006 Ryanair Chase and a particularly strong quartet from the master of Seven Barrows includes The Queen’s Barbers Shop, who was third behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Last year’s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase third Petit Robin could step up in distance following success over two miles in the Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton Park in December, while the hugely talented but fragile Jack The Giant may bid to enhance his superb record over fences. Henderson has also given an entry to last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle runner-up Punchestowns, who made an exciting debut over fences when taking a Grade Two novice chase at Newbury at the end of November.
The only other trainer to have tasted Ryanair Chase success is David Pipe, who sent out Our Vic to victory in 2008. The veteran chaser may be joined in this year’s race by stable-companions Pablo Du Charmil and the prolific Consigliere.
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The Philip Hobbs-trained Massini’s Maguire has run excellent races on both his previous appearances at The Festival, having landed what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle in 2007 and been third to Cooldine in last year’s RSA Chase. Hobbs may also be represented by last season’s The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase third Planet Of Sound, who triumphed in the Grade Two Haldon Gold Cup on his seasonal return prior to taking second behind the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Albertas Run in a Grade Two Chase at Ascot in mid-November.
Deep Purple landed a brace of Grade Two contests at Wetherby and Huntingdon for Evan Williams before disappointing in the King George VI Chase, while the Tom George-trained Tartak may also drop back down in distance after taking seventh in the Boxing Day feature.
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The 2008 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase winner Tidal Bay, from the stable of Howard Johnson, may bid to improve on the fourth he took behind Imperial Commander in this race last year, while the Venetia Williams-trained Something Wells may also aim for further Festival glory, having triumphed in the Festival Plate last season.
Other notable entries include the Donald McCain-trained Will Be Done and Panjo Bere, from the yard of Gary Moore, who landed Grade Two contests last season, the Ferdy Murphy-trained Watch My Back, and Master Medic, successful in a Listed handicap chase for Robert and Sally Alner at Ascot in October.
A bumper entry of 18 from Ireland is headed by the Edward O’Grady-trained Tranquil Sea, who notched an impressive four and a half-length success over Poquelin in the Grade Three BetVictor Gold Cup at The Open in November.
The progressive eight-year-old, successful in the Grade One Punchestown Novice Hurdle in 2008, was runner-up in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown in December, which was won by the Willie Mullins-trained Golden Silver.
Mullins is responsible for a total of seven entries and the Irish champion trainer could also run Scotsirish, who was third behind Golden Silver at Leopardstown, Grade One scorers Barker and Glencove Marina, Deutschland, Snowy Morning and the only mare among the entries, J’y Vole.
The Paul Nolan-trained Joncol stormed to a convincing victory in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown at the start of December before being headed close home to be third in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown later the same month, while last season’s The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase hero Forpadydeplasterer may bid for more Festival glory for Co Kerry handler Tom Cooper.
A quartet of entries from Dessie Hughes consists of last year’s third Schindler’s Hunt, who went on to be second in Grade One company at Aintree and Punchestown, John Durkan Memorial Chase runner-up In Compliance and Punchestown Champion Novice Chase victor Rare Bob. The Co Kildare handler may also be represented by recent Leopardstown handicap chase second Siegemaster, who is owned by Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary.
Newmill gave trainer John Murphy the biggest success of his career when taking the 2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase, while the Irish contingent is completed by Aran Concerto, a three time Grade One winner over hurdles and fences for Noel Meade, the Tom Mullins-trained Made In Taipan and Grade Two scorer The Fonze, from the stable of Eoin Doyle.
THE RYANAIR CHASE
Class 1, Grade 1, 2m 5f, £250,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.40pm, Cheltenham, Thursday, March 18, 2010. For 5yo+ which are allotted a rating of 130 or more by the BHA Head of Handicapping following a review of the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and including March 11 - horses which are not qualified for a rating in GB, IRE or FR may also be entered & such horses may be eligible providing the Handicapper is satisfied that the horse’s racecourse performances up to and including March 11 would merit a minimum rating of 130 (the decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final). Weights: 11st 10lb. Allowances: mares 7lb. Entries closed January 12, entries revealed January 14 (43 entries), scratchings deadline February 16, £11,500 supplementary entry stage and six-day confirmation stage March 12. Final 48-hour declaration stage, 10.00am, March 16. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Tuesday, January 12.
Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
03-P136 ALBERTAS RUN (IRE) 9 Trevor Hemmings Jonjo O'Neill
15//11-FP ARAN CONCERTO (IRE) 9 John Corr Noel Meade IRE
1/210-43 BARBERS SHOP 8 The Queen Nicky Henderson
0112-1U BARKER (IRE) 9 Eamonn Duignan Willie Mullins IRE
1F2-F40 CHAPOTURGEON (FR) 6 David Johnson Paul Nicholls
1110-31 CONSIGLIERE (FR) 7 E A P Scouller David Pipe
121-11P DEEP PURPLE 9 Paul Green Evan Williams
113-412 DEUTSCHLAND (USA) 7 Allan McLuckie Willie Mullins IRE
221-222 FORPADYDEPLASTERER (IRE) 8 Goat Racing Syndicate Tom Cooper IRE
1/0411/-3 GLENCOVE MARINA (IRE) 8 John Brennan Willie Mullins IRE
100-411 GOLDEN SILVER (FR) 8 Violet O'Leary Willie Mullins IRE
125F-U0 GWANAKO (FR) 7 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
111P-1U HERECOMESTHETRUTH (IRE) 8 Paul Barber & Maggie Findlay Paul Nicholls
161-P25 IMPERIAL COMMANDER (IRE) 9 Our Friends in the North Nigel Twiston-Davies
13/4/-12P IN COMPLIANCE (IRE) 10 Mrs B Mulryan/Mrs Noeleen Mccreevy Dessie Hughes IRE
04-1030 J'Y VOLE (FR) 7 Hammer & Trowel Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
36/111/1- JACK THE GIANT (IRE) 8 Hanbury Syndicate Nicky Henderson
11-3213 Joncol (IRE) 7 Kay Browne Paul Nolan IRE
43-3U24 MADE IN TAIPAN (IRE) 8 Frances Duffin/Sean Corby Tom Mullins IRE
12235-3 MASSINI'S MAGUIRE (IRE) 9 Alan Peterson Philip Hobbs
111-12P MASTER MEDIC (IRE) 9 Pell-mell Partners Robert & Sally Alner
46-4224 NEWMILL (IRE) 12 Mary Hayes John Murphy IRE
P4-61r0 OUR VIC (IRE) 12 David Johnson David Pipe
13606-4 PABLO DU CHARMIL (FR) 9 Joe Moran David Pipe
140-P55 PANJO BERE (FR) 7 Paul Chapman & Elizabeth Kiernan Gary Moore
12230-1 PETIT ROBIN (FR) 7 Mr & Mrs John Poynton Nicky Henderson
1133-12 PLANET OF SOUND 8 Charles Lloyd-Baker Philip Hobbs
300-121 POQUELIN (FR) 7 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
3/1122-1 PUNCHESTOWNS (FR) 7 Judy Wilson Nicky Henderson
31414-1 RARE BOB (IRE) 8 D A Syndicate Dessie Hughes IRE
32-2245 SCHINDLERS HUNT (IRE) 10 Slaneyville Syndicate Dessie Hughes IRE
54-3543 SCOTSIRISH (IRE) 9 Double R Stables Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
1F3-132 SIEGEMASTER (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Dessie Hughes IRE
0-61103 SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 10 Quayside Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
02021-F SOMETHING WELLS (FR) 9 Favourites Racing XVIII Venetia Williams
2350P0- TAKEROC (FR) 7 Sandra Giles Paul Nicholls
51-0020 TARTAK (FR) 7 Power Panels Electrical Systems Ltd Tom George
105151 THE FONZE (IRE) 9 J A Dunphy Eoin Doyle IRE
2345-24 TIDAL BAY (IRE) 9 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
56-2112 TRANQUIL SEA (IRE) 8 Nelius Hayes/Dermot Cox Edward O'Grady IRE
3121-36 VOY POR USTEDES (FR) 9 Sir Robert Ogden Alan King
41P-251 WATCH MY BACK 9 Tony Ambler Ferdy Murphy
11112-1 WILL BE DONE (IRE) 9 Mr & Mrs R N C Hall Donald McCain Jnr
43 Entries
18 Irish-trained
RYANAIR CHASE - Past Results
2009-WINNER-IMPERIAL COMMANDER 8-11-10 Owner-Our Friends In The North; Trainer-Nigel Twiston-Davies; Jockey-Paddy Brennan; SP-6/1
2ND-Voy Por Ustedes 8-11-10 Owner-Sir Robert Ogden; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-4/5 Fav
3RD-Schindlers Hunt 9-11-10 Owner-Slaneyville Syndicate; Trainer-Dessie Hughes IRE; Jockey-Paddy Flood; SP-22/1
10 ran, Time-5m 18.34s Dist-2, 0.75
2008-WINNER-OUR VIC 10-11-10 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Timmy Murphy; SP-4/1
2ND-Mossbank 8-11-10 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer-Michael Hourigan IRE; Jockey-Davy Russell; SP-4/1
3RD-Turko 6-11-10 Owner-The Stewart Family; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-7/1
9 ran, Time-5m 10.24s Dist-5, 7 100/30 Fav The Listener (5th)
2007-WINNER-TARANIS 6-11-00 Owner-Mrs A B Yeoman & C R Whittaker; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-9/2
2ND–Our Vic 9-11-05 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Timmy Murphy; SP-7/2
3RD–Billyvoddan 8-11-00 Owner-Trevor Hemmings; Trainer-Henry Daly; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-20/1
9 ran, Time-5m 10.60s Dist-nk, ½ 7/4 Fav Monet’s Garden (4th)
2006-WINNER-FONDMORT 10-11-00 Owner-Bill Brown; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Mick Fitzgerlad; SP-100/30 Jt Fav
2ND-Lacdoudal 7-11-00 Owner-Carol Skan; Trainer-Philip Hobbs; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-20/1
3RD-Impek Owner-Jim Lewis; Trainer-Henrietta Knight; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-100/30 Jt Fav
11 ran, Time-5m 3.00s Dist-1¼, hd
2005-WINNER-THISTHATANDTOTHER 9-11-03 Owner-Graham Roach; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh;
SP-9/2
2ND-Fondmort 9-11-00 Owner-Bill Brown; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Mick Fitzgerald; SP-9/1
3RD-Rathgar Beau 9-11-03 Owner-One-O-Eight Racing Club; Trainer-Eamon Sheehy IRE; Jockey-Shay Barry; SP-9/2
12 ran, Time-5m 11.90s Dist: ½, 2½ 7/4 Fav Our Vic (PU)
