Cheltenham 2005 / news/

2005 FESTIVAL ENTRIES COMPLETE
07/03/05

Entries for all 24 races at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival are revealed following today’s publication of the horses engaged in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup and Christie’s Foxhunter Chase.

The Weatherbys Champion Bumper, only run for the first time in 1992, is a unique and eagerly awaited contest at The Festival and has attracted a record 65 entries of whom 15 are trained in Ireland. Among those bidding to take the March 16 race across the Irish Sea for the 10th time in 13 runnings is the Willie Mullins-trained Missed That, an impressive winner on his last start and the current market leader. He will be aiming to give his trainer an amazing fifth success in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and other significant Irish contenders include Vintage Gold, trained by Vincent O’Brien’s son Charles, Firth Of Forth and Eye On The Ball. Heading the home challenge is Refinement, runner-up last year, and Victor Dartnall’s exciting Karanja, an impressive winner of all his three starts.

There are 54 engaged in the extended four-mile National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, run on Thursday, March 17 and The Festival’s longest race. There are 11 Irish-trained entries including two from the shrewd Tony Martin stable in Beau Colina and Rare Ouzel. Jonjo O’Neill, seeking his fourth consecutive success in the contest and his fifth overall, has two engaged - Classic Native and Golden Rambler - while Martin Pipe has 10 to choose from, headed by Control Man.

One of the most poignant moments at last year’s Festival was Earthmover’s success in the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase, six years after his first victory in the season’s leading hunter chase. The Paul Nicholls-trained evergreen is once again among the record 44 entries along with his stable companion and current favourite Sleeping Night. A strong Irish challenge of seven for the March 18 contest includes last year’s runner-up Never Compromise, recent Leopardstown scorer Lord Of The Turf and Edward O’Grady’s General Montcalm.