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Racing Post Arkle Trial 2012 |
Racing Post Arkle Trial Option for Sire De Grugy
31/10/12
Grade Two-winning hurdler Sire De Grugy made a successful transition to fences when scoring by six lengths at Kempton Park on October 21 and his trainer Gary Moore is now considering a tilt at the £25,000 Grade Two Racing Post Arkle Trial. The two-mile novices’ chase takes place at Cheltenham on the third and final day of The Open, Sunday, November 18, 2012.
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Sire De Grugy, rated 148 over hurdles last season, won the Grade Two Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton Park by 11 lengths in January, 2011, and last season the six-year-old finished fourth in the Grade Three Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and third in the Listed Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown Park.
Moore said: “The Racing Post Arkle Trial is a race we will be looking at for Sire De Grugy and it’s been so far, so good, with him since his win at Kempton. He had a pretty easy week last week, but we will get back to work with him this week.
“He looked like he would learn plenty for the experience at Kempton and I hope there is plenty of improvement to come from him. A stronger run race and a race where you haven’t got so many horses having their first run would suit because then we could ride him with a bit more restraint.
“He has always been a chaser in the making and we bought him with a view of being a chaser. We thought he would be better over fences than he was over hurdles - which he will need to be - and I hope he can progress into a top-class chaser.
“The ground wasn’t as quick as you would think at Kempton but the softer the ground, the better for him.”
The Open kicks off with Countryside Day on Friday, November 16, which features a six-race card headlined by the £45,000 Paddypower.com Handicap Chase over two miles. The card also includes the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase and the £25,000 Grade Two Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle over an extended two miles.
The £160,000 Grade Three BetVictor Gold Cup is the highlight of The Open on Saturday, November 17, and the extended two and half mile handicap chase been won by some of Jump racing’s biggest names since its inception in 1960. In 2008 the race was won by Imperial Commander, who went on to win the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010.
A terrific card on Saturday also features the £50,000 Grade Three Henrietta Knight Handicap Chase over just short of three and a half miles and the £25,000 Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial over an extended two miles.
Sunday’s showpiece is the £100,000 Grade Three Racing Post Hurdle over an extended two miles which can be a key pointer to the Stan James Champion Hurdle at The Festival in March. The final day of The Open also includes the £50,000 Shloer Chase over two miles and the £25,000 Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.
