racing_news/

Paul Keane Hoping It’s All In The Stars
05/12/06

All In The Stars heads to Cheltenham for the £100,000 Boylepoker.com Chase (1.20pm) on Friday, December 8, with trainer Paul Keane hoping his stable flag-bearer can better his runner-up finish of 12 months ago.

The progressive eight-year-old got to within three and a half lengths of the victorious Royal Auclair in the three mile, one and a half furlong contest in 2005, a run that followed a fifth placing in the 2005 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury.

All In The Stars announced his arrival as a serious staying chaser when easily landing the Country Gentleman’s Association Chase at Wincanton in February, before being pulled-up when sent off joint-favourite for his most recent start, the Scottish Grand National.

Illness has delayed All In The Stars’ return to action but Keane reports his charge in fine health ahead of the Boylepoker.com Chase.

The Dorset-based handler revealed this morning: “All In The Stars will run in the Boylepoker.com Chase. He missed the Hennessy because he had a bout of colic which set him back a few weeks, but he’s absolutely fine now and appears to be very well in himself.

“The one thing I’m a bit concerned about is that he’s running off a mark of 141, so he has to up his game to win off that mark. He had a very good season last year, with the exception of the blip in his final target, which was the Scottish Grand National.”

Keane believes All In The Stars has solid claims in the Boylepoker.com Chase and expects the gelding, who will be ridden by stable jockey Neil Mulholland, to be a fixture in top staying chases this term, though he will not be seen over the big Aintree fences.

He reported: “He ran a creditable race when second in the Boylepoker.com Chase last year and if the ground’s soft and they go a good gallop, then he would be an each-way bet.

“He will contest high-class staying chases this season and we may have a look at the Irish National - we’ll see how things pan out.

“He would never go for the Grand National because of his physical make up. He’s quite a low set horse and he lands a bit too much on the fore-hand over his fences, so I certainly wouldn’t be sending him over Becher’s Brook.”

The Boylepoker.com Chase, which this year carries doubled prize-money of £100,000 thanks to the generous sponsorship of Boylesports, Ireland’s fastest growing independent bookmaker, has 28 high-class chasers engaged at the five day stage.

The weights are topped by the Paul Nicholls-trained pair Star De Mohaison (12st), victorious in the Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Chase and successful at Sandown on Saturday, and My Will (11st 12lb), winner of the Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy over the course and distance at The Open.

The field could also include that pair’s stablemates Cornish Sett and Cornish Rebel, as well as the Francois Doumen-trained Innox, the in-form Gallant Approach, trained by Charles Egerton, John Smith’s Grand National fourth Nil Desperandum, the David Pipe-trained quartet of Joacci, Commercial Flyer, Bannow Strand and Puntal, and the Michael Hourigan-trained Church Island.

Keane, who has saddled 10 winners this season, is expecting a decent show from the lightly-raced Sula’s Legend in the two mile, one furlong EBF/Boylesports.com National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle (3.40pm).

The five–year-old is yet to win but came a promising second to the useful Here’s Johnny at Uttoxeter in October, before showing a dislike for heavy going when well-beaten at Carlisle on November 12.

Keane revealed: “Sula’s Legend hated the ground at Carlisle. I was surprised because I thought he’d handle it but Neil said he hated the ground, so we’ll draw a line through that. I think his other form will be good enough for him to get in the first four.

“If the likes of Kicks For Free turns up then I think we’ll all be playing supporting roles, but the form of his previous run is quite good. A couple of the top ones in the race would be a better class than him, so I’m hoping he has each-way claims.”

The contest, which concludes a high-quality seven-race card, has also attracted the Paul Nicholls-trained Kicks For Free and the Howard Johnson-trained Tidal Bay who are both unbeaten in two starts over hurdles.

The action on Friday kicks off with the £20,000 Cleanevent Novices’ Chase (12.10pm), run over three miles and one and a half furlongs. The David Pipe-trained Standin Obligation, unbeaten in three starts over fences and successful at the course at The Open meeting last month, is among 12 quality entries for the event.

Cross-country specialist Spot Thedifference showed that he retains plenty of ability at the age of 13 when taking the Sporting Index Chase at last month’s Open fixture for the third time - his fifth victory at Cheltenham in total. He features among 19 entries for the £23,000 Sporting Index Handicap Chase (1.55pm), run over a stamina-sapping three miles and seven furlongs.

The £20,000 CFR Group (Electrical Services) Handicap Hurdle (2.30pm) over two miles and a furlong looks tremendously competitive with 34 entries, including recent William Hill Handicap Hurdle victor Overstrand, while 45 runners have been entered for the three-mile £20,000 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle qualifier at 3.05pm.

Friday’s action also features the £15,000 boylecasino.com Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (12.45pm), run over two miles and five furlongs, and concludes with the £15,000 EBF/boylesports.com ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle at 3.40pm over two miles and a furlong.