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Curtis Hoping Marodima Can Make Perfect Start in Williamhill.com Handicap Chase at Doncaster
21/01/09

This year sees the second running of the £100,000 williamhill.com Handicap Chase, for which weights are revealed today, Wednesday, January 21.

The extended two-mile contest is the richest race over jumps of the entire season at Doncaster and takes place on Saturday, January 31. Last season Howle Hill, trained by Alan King, chased down the Howard Johnson-trained Lennon to score by a neck in a thrilling finish. The race was suggested by the British Horseracing Authority which was keen to introduce a replacement handicap chase when the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot became a conditions event.

Top weight Voy Por Ustedes (left)
© racing-images.co.uk

Heading the weight for the 2009 renewal of the williamhill.com Handicap Chase is Voy Por Ustedes (11st 12lb), who could attempt to give Alan King a second victory. The eight-year-old boasts form at the very highest level having landed the Grade One Melling Chase at Aintree last season to add to his earlier Grade One successes in the 2007 Queen Mother Champion Chase and the 2006 Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham.

Pembrokeshire-based Rebecca Curtis has made a promising start to her training career and has a live contender for the williamhill.com Handicap Chase with Marodima (10st 3lb). The six-year-old was previously under the care of champion trainer Paul Nicholls and enjoyed his finest hour when landing the Grade Two Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown in December, 2007.

Rebecca Curtis said: “Marodima has been given an entry in the williamhill.com Handicap Chase and he is an intended runner at the moment. He’s also been entered in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury but I think we will go to Doncaster with him, especially if Voy Por Ustedes is carrying top-weight.

“He was an intended runner in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot last weekend but I thought that it would be too much for him to go straight into a Grade One contest on his first appearance for us.

“He’s been with us since the end of November and we are still finding out a bit about him so it seemed sensible to give him a couple more weeks before he ran.

“He’s started to settle nicely in his work and I am happy with his fitness. We have spent a lot of time schooling him and getting him to relax more. He has had a tendency to make the running and it would be nice to get him to drop the bit in his races.

“He seems to have won on all types of ground so I don’t think that he will have any problems in terms of the going. The ground was really testing on his last start for Paul at Limerick in October and he still ran well to finish third.

“If he runs a big race at Doncaster, then hopefully he can take his chance in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.”

Paul Nicholls himself has a formidable team among the 38 entries with five possible contenders. These include Andreas (10st 13lb), successful in the Grade Two Celebration Chase at Sandown last season, last season’s Grade Three Connaught Cup victor Natal (10st 8lb), the promising novice I’msingingtheblues (10st 1lb), Medicinal (9st 11lb), another novice and a comfortable winner last time out at Haydock in November and Poquelin (9st 10lb), triumphant in novice company at Cheltenham in October.

Petit Robin (10st 11lb) beat all bar the imperious Master Minded in the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 17 and could represent Nicky Henderson while Santa’s Son (10st 6lb), trained by Howard Johnson, looked to be an improving horse when landing the skybet.com Castleford Handicap Chase at Wetherby on December 27.

The williamhill.com Handicap Chase is part of a six-race programme at Doncaster on Saturday, December 31, when the entire card will be sponsored by William Hill.

THE williamhill.com HANDICAP CHASE
Class 2, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. Doncaster, Saturday, January 31, 2009. For five-year-olds and upwards, two miles about half a furlong. Penalties: after January 18, a winner of a chase 5lb Entries closed Tuesday, January 13, entries revealed Wednesday, January 14 (38 Entries). Weights revealed Wednesday, January 21. Six-day confirmation stage Monday, January 26, final declaration stage 10.00am, Thursday, January 29. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, January 19.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer

1221-43 VOY POR USTEDES (FR) 8-11-12 Sir Robert Ogden Alan King
04621-5 ANDREAS (FR) 9-10-13 Trevor Hemmings Paul Nicholls
1/61-122 PETIT ROBIN (FR) 6-10-11 Mr & Mrs John Poynton Nicky Henderson
F2-3U65 NATAL (FR) 8-10-08 Monica Hackett Paul Nicholls
3500-13 PABLO DU CHARMIL (FR) 8-10-07 Joe Moran David Pipe
P0-1051 SANTA'S SON (IRE) 9-10-06 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
5-23403 MAHOGANY BLAZE (FR) 7-10-05 Lorna Berryman Nigel Twiston-Davies
P32-264 LORD HENRY (IRE) 10-10-04 Karola Vann Philip Hobbs
4011-13 MARODIMA (FR) 6-10-03 M A Sherwood Rebecca Curtis
503-121 I'MSINGINGTHEBLUES (IRE) 7-10-01 John Hales Paul Nicholls
001-311 DOCTOR DAVID 6-9-12 Dr D S Myers & A S Reid Caroline Bailey
346-331 MEDICINAL (IRE) 8-9-11 S C Botham Paul Nicholls
21-1155 CHEATING CHANCE (IRE) 8-9-11 M Tedham Andrew Turnell
2-2F112 I'M SO LUCKY 7-9-11 Mrs S Brookhouse David Pipe
6P21-55 THREE MIRRORS 9-9-10 Sean Murphy Ferdy Murphy
U01-113 POQUELIN (FR) 6-9-10 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
1P6-642 MOON OVER MIAMI (GER) 8-9-08 Anne Fulton & Michael Lynch Charlie Mann
PP-3026 CLEW BAY COVE (IRE) 9-9-07 J P McManus Colm Murphy IRE
6/141F/1/- RUBBERDUBBER 9-9-05 Susan Orton Charles Egerton
630-052 ONEWAY (IRE) 12-9-05 Mark Rimell Mark Rimell
31/121P/- KILLAGHY CASTLE (IRE) 9-9-03 Mrs S N J Embiricos Nick Gifford
232/1-03 LOCKSMITH 9-9-01 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
00-50P0 LESLINGTAYLOR (IRE) 7-9-01 Marie Taylor John Quinn
240100 LORD JAY JAY (IRE) 9-9-00 Jan Johnson Venetia Williams
44P05-0 BAMBI DE L'ORME (FR) 10-9-00 Mr & Mrs John Poynton Ian Williams
P/1340-1 KILMACKILLOGE 10-8-13 S Currie Martin Todhunter
506006 KING DANIEL 8-8-12 A Slack Evelyn Slack
F1-0000 ELA RE 10-8-12 Keith Nicholson Sue Smith
2/23U11- VINMIX DE BESSY (FR) 8-8-12 P W Middleton & Frank McHugh Gary Moore
051130 LAOCH DUBH (IRE) 10-8-10 J Davies, P Merritt & J Sunley Charlie Mann
1-04162 I HEAR A SYMPHONY (IRE) 7-8-09 Alan Peterson Philip Hobbs
PP-13P5 IN TECHNICOLOR (IRE) 10-8-08 Dominic Jones Arthur Moore IRE
326/6-11 LORIENT EXPRESS (FR) 10-8-07 Suzanne & Nigel Williams Venetia Williams
P0P-56P TIDAL FURY (IRE) 7-8-07 Lindsey J Shaw Ferdy Murphy
311P-P1 BEGGARS CAP (IRE) 7-8-07 Trevor Hemmings Ferdy Murphy
225/-332 CAMDEN GEORGE (IRE) 8-8-06 M B Scholey & R H Scholey Sue Smith
U/03030- MR PRICKLE (IRE) 9-7-10 Dr Richard & Mrs L Newland Dr Richard Newland
5/3-1132 PICOT DE SAY 7-7-07 Irish Legend Racing Team Craig Roberts

38 Entries
2 Irish-trained