BetBright Cup Chase |
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| Grade 2, Cheltenham 13:50 £100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 24th January 2015 | |
1 Many Clouds 4/1
2 Smad Place 11/4
3 Dynaste 5/2F
6 ran Distances: 1¼l, nk, 6l
TIME 6m 52.10s (slow by 33.10s)
A fine front running ride from Leighton Aspell on Many Clouds who held both greys and the Hennessy winner is now on his way to the Gold Cup!
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Oliver Sherwood's Hennessy hero added to his sizeable Newbury haul in November with a superb round of fencing under Leighton Aspell.
Smad Place and Dynaste gave chase late on, but the always-prominent Many Clouds (4-1) had enough in reserve to keep the former at bay by a length and a quarter.
"He's improved again," said Aspell.
Many Clouds and Black Thunder went toe to toe for most of the race, albeit hardly setting an electric gallop.
The pace quickened five fences from home, at which point the former gained a slight lead as Black Thunder wilted.
Dynaste, the 5-2 favourite, and Smad Place suddenly arrived on the scene two fences from home, with the stage set for an absorbing finish.
But Aspell's companion always had the edge, striding purposefully clear to add further credence to his Cheltenham Gold Cup claims in March.
Aspell added: "At Newbury he gave his all, the tank was empty and we weren't sure.
"He looked fantastic and he trained fantastic but you just never know.
"He gave me a lovely ride round. He's intelligent and spots his fences and he's quick over them.
"If he had finished third or fourth I would have been happy, but that was a lovely performance.
"We love this horse."
Bookmakers were quick to react, with Many Clouds now available at around the 12-1 mark for the Gold Cup on March 13.
Sherwood said: "He got into a really good rhythm and jumped super.
"He was dossing a little bit up the run-in - he was in front for a long time - but we know he gets the trip really well.
"It was important to come here and get him some experience of Cheltenham.
"I'm so pleased he's won as it's my first winner here since the Greatwood in 2000 (Hulysse Royal).
"It's great to have that monkey off my back.
"The dream is still alive. My job now is to get him back here in one piece for March."
Trevor Hemmings also owns Preston North End and was at Deepdale to watch them play Sheffield United in the FA Cup fourth round.
His racing manager Mick Meagher said: "It was a lovely performance and we're delighted with him.
"He's in the mix now, I guess, for the Gold Cup and he's told us where he's going.
"Mr Hemmings will be absolutely delighted. He's watching Preston today."
Betbright Cup Chase
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 110y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Soft
| Dist | Horse | Jockey /Weight | Trainer | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Many Clouds (IRE) 4/1 | L P Aspell 11-10 |
O Sherwood | 8 | |
| 2nd | 1¼ | Smad Place (FR) 11/4 | W Hutchinson 11-2 |
A King | 8 |
| 3rd | nk | Dynaste (FR) 5/2f | T Scudamore 11-10 |
D Pipe | 9 |
| 4th | 6 | The Giant Bolster 11/2 | Tom Cannon 11-10 |
D G Bridgwater | 10 |
| 5th | 1 | Black Thunder (FR) 8/1 | S Twiston-Davies 11-10 |
P F Nicholls | 8 |
| 6th | 9 | Theatre Guide (IRE) 16/1 | D A Jacob 11-6 |
C L Tizzard | 8 |
BETBRIGHT CUP CHASE - Past Results
Year Horse Owner Trainer Weight Jockey SP
1980 Raffi Nelson Mrs P Fry Nicky Henderson 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 5/2
1981 Little Owl R Wilson Peter Easterby 7-11-12 Mr Jim Wilson 8/11f
1982 Lesley Ann B Gaule David Elsworth 8-11-12 Colin Brown 5/2
1983 Combs Ditch Jim Tory David Elsworth 7-11-08 Colin Brown 6/1
1984 Everett Kilian Hennessy Fulke Walwyn 9-11-08 Stuart Shilston 15/8f
1985 West Tip Peter Luff Michael Oliver 8-11-06 Richard Dunwoody 5/2
1986 Misty Spirit Mrs E Dixon Donald Lee 7-11-06 Steve Smith Eccles 9/1
1987 Abandoned
1988* Twin Oaks John Moreton David Murray-Smith 8-11-06 Paul Croucher 6/1
1989 Deep Moment Mrs M Curtis Mercy Rimell 7-11-03 Dermot Browne 12/1
1990 Toby Tobias Elizabeth Hitchins Jenny Pitman 8-11-06 Mark Pitman 5/4
1991 Celtic Shot D E H Horton Charlie Brooks 9-11-12 Peter Scudamore 8/11f
1992 Abandoned
1993 Sibton Abbey Geoff Hubbard Ferdy Murphy 8-11-12 Steve Smith Eccles 16/1
1994 Dubacilla Veronica Cole Henry Cole 8-10-12 Dean Gallagher 8/1
1995 Master Oats Paul Matthews Kim Bailey 9-11-06 Norman Williamson 6/4f
1996 Abandoned
1997 One Man John Hales Gordon Richards 9-11-12 Richard Dunwoody 2/5f
1998 See More Business John Keighley/Paul Barber Paul Nicholls 8-11-06 Timmy Murphy 9/4f
1999 Cyfor Malta David Johnson Martin Pipe 6-11-06 A P McCoy 10/11f
2000 Looks Like Trouble Tim Collins Noel Chance 8-11-06 Norman Williamson 100/30
2001 See More Business Paul Barber/Robert Ogden Paul Nicholls 11-11-10 Mick Fitzgerald 9/4
2002 Rince Ri Frank Moriarty Ted Walsh IRE 9-11-10 Ruby Walsh 9/2
2003 Behrajan The Behrajan Partnership Henry Daly 8-11-06 Richard Johnson 9/2
2004 Jair Du Cochet Miriam Montauban Guillaume Macaire FR 7-11-10 Jacques Ricou 11/4
2005 Grey Abbey The Roper Family/Norman Furness Howard Johnson 11-11-10 Graham Lee 100/30
2006** See You Sometime J Meaden Seamus Mullins 11-11-05 Andrew Thornton 18/1
2007 Exotic Dancer Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O’Neill 7-11-06 A P McCoy 6/1
2008 Knowhere Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies 10-11-04 Paddy Brennan 16/1
2009 Joe Lively Richard Dimond Colin Tizzard 10-11-06 Joe Tizzard 11/1
2010 Taranis Angela Yeoman Paul Nicholls 9-11-00 Nick Scholfield 16/1
2011 Neptune Collonges John Hales Paul Nicholls 10-11-00 A P McCoy 11/2
2012 Midnight Chase Lady Clarke Neil Mulholland 10-11-06 Dougie Costello 11/2
2013 Cape Tribulation David Abell Malcolm Jefferson 9-11-06 Denis O’Regan 7/1
2014 The Giant Bolster Simon Hunt & Gary Lambton David Bridgwater 9-11-00 Tom Scudamore 6/1
* Cavvies Clown was first past the post in 1988, but subsequently failed a dope test ** Staged at Wincanton
