You are here News & Press > 16/10/2007

GROUND CURRENTLY GOOD, GOOD TO FIRM IN PLACES - RAIN EXPECTED

Meeting - The Showcase, Cheltenham Racecourse

Dates - Friday, October 19 & Saturday, October 20

First race - 2.20pm (both days)

Admission Prices - Club & Tattersalls combined - £20 a day (£15 aged 16 to 24); advance booking £18 or £34 for both days. Best Mate - £8 a day; advance booking £14 for both days. Accompanied children under 16 admitted FREE too all enclosures. FREE car parking.

Cheltenham's new season gets under way this Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20, with The Showcase, a new two-day curtain raiser. With the fixture moving to Friday and Saturday, and a massive increase in prize-money, the racing looks set to be extremely competitive.

The ground on both the chase and hurdle courses is good, good to firm in places, although Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse is expecting rain to arrive.

He said: "We have stopped watering because we are expecting between half-an-inch and an inch of rain on Tuesday afternoon.

"If the rain doesn't materialise, we'll start watering again."

"We are aiming to produce good ground for the weekend."

WADHAM AND HOBBS OUTLINE SHOWCASE PLANS

Saturday's card opens with the £20,000 Severn Trent Water/WaterAid Handicap Hurdle (2.20pm), run over two miles and five furlongs, and set to be broadcast live on Channel 4.

Newmarket-based trainer Lucy Wadham has two horses entered in the contest, and either Fenix or Eleazar could run depending on the state of the ground.

"One or the other will run, depending on the ground. If it's good or quicker, it will be Eleazar, otherwise it will be Fenix," Wadham explained.

Fenix has been a consistent performer for his connections, running with credit in several top-level handicap hurdles over the last few seasons. In 2006, he finished third in the Listed Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle at Sandown, and won a valuable event at Fontwell in November that year.

Wadham continued: "He cracked his pelvis at Fontwell, when he finished second behind Take A Mile (on December 23, 2006) and has been off the course since. He's in great form now, although he always needs his first run. He's also on a career-high mark."

The eight-year-old is also entered in the Cheltenham Business Club Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle on the same card, but his participation is reliant on the ground:

"He has run on good ground before at the back end of the season, but we wouldn't run him on fast ground at the start of a campaign. He has also never run at Cheltenham," Wadham added.

Eleazar is a progressive six-year-old, and the gelding enjoyed a recent run at Market Rasen, when he finished a close third in the £50,000 bluesquare.com Handicap Hurdle on September 29.

"I thought he ran very well first time out, and he's in good form. He ran at Cheltenham last year in the Letheby & Christopher Novices' Handicap Hurdle (at The Open) on sticky ground, and he hated it. The ground it the key for him, as he needs it good," Wadham commented.

The two mile, five furlong £20,000 Severn Trent Water/WaterAid Handicap Hurdle is the first race on Saturday's quality card. Opposing either Fenix or Eleazar could be a number of high-quality runners, with 26 entered at the five-day stage.

Ungaro could revert back to hurdles, having proved an exceptional jumper over the larger obstacles. A winner of the Grade One Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day last season, Keith Reveley's talented eight-year-old finished sixth in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at The Festival on March 14.

Paul Nicholls could run Supreme Huntress, and the progressive Ofarel D'Airy, who won a novice chase at Cheltenham on April 19. Ostfanni, fifth in the Pertemps Final at The Festival on March 15 is also entered, as is Peter Bowen's talented Decisive.

The second race on Saturday is the £12,500 Lady Angela Rooker Memorial Beginners' Chase (2.55pm), run over an extended two and a half miles. Over The Creek, who finished tenth in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle here in March, could make his seasonal reappearance in the race. Crack hurdlers Self Defense and Tidal Bay, who was second in the Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle at The Festival in 2007, could make their chasing debuts in the same race.

The day's feature contest, the £50,000 Pyments Quantity Surveyors Handicap Chase (3.30pm), also run over an extended two and a half miles, is the third race on the card and will also be broadcast live on Channel 4. David Pipe could run Comply Or Die, who has been off the track for nearly two years, and Bannow Strand.

Somerset handler Philip Hobbs has four runners entered in the race, and his plans will revolve around the state of the ground.

He said: "Private Be would be my most likely runner with the forecast ground. He's very talented, despite showing some wayward tendencies. Tamango would face a stiff task, being a 10-year-old with a career-high handicap mark. "

"Petitjean probably won't run with the projected ground, and Templer is not qualified."

Private Be won on his last start, in a novice chase at Aintree on April 14, and the eight-year-old could be aimed at the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 17.

The £10,000 Lemington Novices Hurdle (4.05pm), could see the progressive David Pipe-trained El Bandindos bid for a hat-trick, having won twice in handicap company. Otto Des Pictons, a 17 length winner at Ayr on his last outing, is a possible starter for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

The fifth race is the two-mile £10,000 Cheltenham Business Club Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (4.40pm). Last year's winner O'Toole could bid for a repeat success for Philip Hobbs, while the in-form James Lambe may send over Torrid Kentavr from his County Tyrone base.

The £20,000 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Novices' Chase (5.15pm), run over an extended three miles, looks set to have a strong line-up. Paul Nicholls' Blu Teen had a pipe-opener at Market Rasen recently, while David Pipe's Thirty Five Black could make his chase debut. The consistent Minella Tipperary could line up for Philip Hobbs.

The final race of the day is the £6,000 Cheltenham Racing Ltd Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (5.50pm) run over an extended two miles. Local trainer Jonjo O'Neill could run one or more of his three new recruits, Cruchain, I'm The Decider and Piamontini, while Irish handler Charlie Swan could send over Forty Foot, a winner on his only start at Roscommon.

The Showcase is so named because the meeting is designed to involve racegoers in the wider aspects of the sport.

Hurdler's Hall, near the paddock, will be transformed into an exhibition of every conceivable aspect of Jump racing - including breeding, owning, training and caring for horses.

There will be a chance for racegoers to try their skill as a commentator or weigh in like a jockey.

Throughout each afternoon, a trail around the course will encourage racegoers to go to places that are normally off-limits such as going to the start, having the chance to judge the best-turned out horse and making a presentation.

Cheltenham will show Premiership football on certain televisions at the course on Saturday, October 20. The Everton versus Liverpool game can be watched from 12.45pm in the Istabraq Bar in Tattersalls and the Desert Orchid Bar in the Best Mate enclosure.

The Aston Villa v Manchester United match will be shown from 5.15pm on the big screen in the Centaur, working around the last race (5.45pm), and continuing until it finishes at 7pm.

The Centaur bars will remain open until 7pm.

For further information, please contact Cheltenham Racecourse's Communications Manager Andy Clifton on 01242 537 683 or 07876 330 090