racing_news/

Moore Aiming Numide and Wingman at Greatwood Glory at The Open 11/11/08

Trainer Gary Moore looks set to have a brace of runners in the £100,000 Greatwood Hurdle (2.20pm), with both Numide and Wingman primed to take their chances in the extended two-mile contest run on the third day of The Open at Cheltenham, Sunday, November 16.

A French Group Two winner on the Flat in 2006, Numide enjoyed an excellent first campaign over hurdles for the Sussex-based handler, scoring on his first two starts in novice contests at Leicester and Folkestone in January.

The five-year-old went on to finish fourth in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton Park the following month prior to coming home 13th in the Grade One Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival. He returns to hurdles following three good efforts in Group Three races on the Flat, including a fifth place in the St Simon Stakes at Newbury on October 25.

Moore said: “We’ve left Numide (10st 2lb) and Wingman (10st 12lb) in the Greatwood Hurdle and I am expecting them both to run in the race.

“Numide is in great form and I couldn’t be more pleased with him at the moment. I am just hoping that the horses at the top of the handicap run so that we can get in off a light weight.

“He will love all of the rain that’s been falling as he can’t have the ground soft enough. His run at The Festival was very disappointing but he wasn’t at his best on that occasion and he’s a far better horse than that.

“He’s had three starts in Group Three races on the Flat and the ground wasn’t really soft enough on all three of those runs. He would have preferred slower going at Newbury in the St Simon Stakes and they didn’t go any real pace that day either, which didn’t help because he needs holding up.

“I know I can’t keep making excuses for him, but he hasn’t had everything go right for him in all of his races. I still believe that we haven’t seen the best of him over hurdles and hopefully he can get the breaks at Cheltenham on Sunday.”

Wingman is also returning to hurdles after finishing fifth in a competitive handicap at Epsom Downs on Derby Day, June 7. The six-year-old enjoyed the biggest success of his career at Newbury in February, when he defeated Grade One winner Punjabi in the valuable totesport Trophy Hurdle, but posted a below-par effort when 20th in the Grade Three Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle at The Festival.

Moore continued: “Wingman is a more exposed horse but he will love the rain as well and he goes into the race in good order. I was also disappointed with his run at The Festival last season, but he was probably paying for his victory at Newbury the previous month. He’ll be running off the same mark on Sunday, but he’s a very decent hurdler on his day.

“He will be ridden handy and I would be hopeful that he could run a good race in the Greatwood. He’s certainly not a bad second string to have!”

Irish trainer Ronnie O’Leary is hoping that Schelm (10st 13lb) can make an impact in the Greatwood Hurdle. The six-year-old has already made three successful raids over the Irish Sea this year, winning on the all-weather at Wolverhampton in February and following up with victories over hurdles at Newcastle in March and at Sedgefield in April.

After a cosy victory in a novice hurdle at Limerick in July, Schelm was a close eighth on his handicap debut in the competitive Galway Hurdle on his latest appearance on July 31.

Co Clare-based O’Leary commented: “Schelm is a definite runner in the Greatwood Hurdle. He’s in grand form at the moment and I’m just hoping that there’s not much more rain between now and Sunday. He’s a lovely horse on a sound surface.

“I was pleased with his run in the Galway Hurdle and he was only beaten by less than seven lengths in total. I think he can be competitive off a mark of 135. I was disappointed that the handicapper gave him a very big hike after he won at Sedgefield but, in hindsight, it looked justified after he ran up to that mark at Galway.

“This will be his last run before we give him a break and bring him back in the new year ready for a chasing campaign next season. I think that he’s still got improvement in him over hurdles and I’m looking to see him run a decent race in the Greatwood Hurdle.”

The three days of The Open offer fantastic sport. The highlight of the three-day meeting is Saturday’s £150,000 Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.35pm), run over an extended two and a half miles.

Sponsors Paddy Power currently have Silverburn as their 7/2 market leader but the Irish bookmaker this morning was forced to cut the odds of the David Pipe-trained Piraya to 11/1 from 14/1 following a string of bets placed after the trainer described the unexposed five-year-old as “the dark horse in the race” at a stable visit organised by Cheltenham Racecourse & Paddy Power yesterday.

Sunday’s card also features the £50,000 paddypower.com Handicap Chase (1.45pm) in addition to the Greatwood Hurdle, while Friday’s action includes the popular £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase (3.00pm) over three miles, seven furlongs.

Latest prices for the Greatwood Hurdle from Paddy Power:

Ashkazar 7-2, Aigle D'Or 6-1, Rippling Ring 6-1, Blue Bajan 7-1, Chomba Womba 8-1, Stage Manager 10-1, French Opera 12-1, Franchoek 14-1, Squadron 14-1, Mamlook 14-1, Numide 14-1, Cuan Na Grai 14-1, Silver Jaro 16-1, Wingman 20-1, King's Revenge 20-1, Mudslinger 25-1 , Motorway 25-1, Jubilant Note 25-1, Schelm 25-1, Pigeon Island 25-1, Arcalis 33-1, Premier Dane 33-1, The God Of Love 33-1, Roman Villa 40-1, Mr Jack Daniells 50-1

Each Way Terms: 1/4 Places 1,2,3,4

Meeting - The Open, Cheltenham Racecourse
Dates - Friday, November 14, Saturday, November 15 & Sunday, November 16
First race - 1.15pm Friday, 12.50pm Saturday, 1.10pm Sunday
Admission prices - from £9; accompanied children under 16 admitted FREE to all enclosures. Tickets available from www.cheltenham.co.uk or by calling 08445 793 003.

PAST WINNERS - THE GREATWOOD HANDICAP HURDLE

Year Name Age/Wgt Trainer Jockey Owner Ran SP
2007 Sizing Europe
2006 Detroit City 4-11-12b Philip Hobbs Richard Johnson Terry Warner 9 6/5F
2005 Lingo 6-10-06 Jonjo O’Neill Tony McCoy J P McManus 19 5/1
2004 Accordion Etoile 5-10-06 Paul Nolan IRE John Cullen Banjo Syndicate 9 10-3F
2003 Rigmarole 5-11-12 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh Mark Woodhouse 10 33/1
2002 Rooster Booster 8-11-12 Philip Hobbs Seamus Durack Terry Warner 11 7/1
2001 Westender 5-10-13 Martin Pipe Tony McCoy Matt Archer & Jean Broadhurst 13 11/8F
2000 Hulysse Royal 5-10-00 Oliver Sherwood Jimmy McCarthy R Carvill 12 9/1
1999 Rodock 5-10-00 Martin Pipe Tony McCoy C, B & R Batterham II 13 11/4JF
1998 Grey Shot 6-11-05 Ian Balding Jamie Osborne Robert Hitchins 16 11/4F
1997 Mr Percy 9-10-09 Josh Gifford Philip Hide Felix Rosentiel’s Widow & Son 17 14/1
1996 Space Trucker 5-11-11 Jessica Harrington IRE Jamie Osborne Mrs E Queally 9 7/1
1995 Lonesome Train 6-9-09 Colin Weedon Barry Fenton Simon Gay 15 33/1
1994 Atours 6-11-05 David Elsworth Paul Holley Oh So Rosie Parnership 10 3/1F
1993 Leotard 6-12-00 Oliver Sherwood Jamie Osborne Christopher Heath 7 3/1
1992 Valfinet 5-10-09 Martin Pipe Peter Scudamore Frank Farrant 9 7/2F
1991 Shu Fly 7-11-01 Susan Oliver Steve Smith Eccles Severn First Partnership 12 10/1
1990 Liadett 5-11-10 Martin Pipe Mark Perrett Frank Farrant 8 9/2