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CLUB 16-24 NOVICES' CHASE PLAN FOR JOE LIVELY

Meeting - The Open, Dates - Friday, November 16, Saturday, November 17 & Sunday, November 18

Admission Prices - Club/Tattersalls from £20 (£18 in advance), Best Mate from £8

Gates Open - 10am all days

First race - 12.45pm Friday, 12.55pm Saturday, 1.10pm Sunday

Dorset trainer Colin Tizzard has targeted the £60,000 Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy (3.45pm) at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 17, for the seasonal debut of his popular grey chaser Bob Bob Bobbin.

The eight-year-old's last appearance on a racecourse came in the totesport Gold Cup at The Festival on March 16, when he was pulled up after sustaining an injury, but a summer of recuperation has put the gelding spot on for a return to Prestbury Park in the extended three mile, three furlong handicap chase at The Open, which is race seven in the Order Of Merit.

Tizzard revealed today: "Bob Bob Bobbin is going to Cheltenham for the Servo Computer Services Trophy. He put his pelvis out when he ran in the totesport Gold Cup but it was nothing too much. He has been in 14 weeks now and he is fine and ready to go."

A smart novice two seasons ago, Bob Bob Bobbin defeated subsequent William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase third Distant Thunder at Bangor last term before finishing a creditable fourth to later Grade One Guinness Punchestown Gold Cup victor Neptune Collonges in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November, 2006.

Tizzard continued: "We will go to Cheltenham and have a look at how he gets on. He is a 142-rated chaser and he has run well at Cheltenham before, so it is a proper race for him. He will then go for the Rehearsal Chase and the Welsh National. That is the plan up until Christmas and hopefully he will win one of them."

The Sherborne handler has earmarked the £20,000 Club 16-24 Novices' Chase (1.30pm) over an extended three miles on the same day for the progressive Joe Lively, who won over the course and distance when taking the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Novices' Chase by 17 lengths from Ice Tea, on October 20.

Joe Lively has won four of his last five starts and is one of two possible Tizzard-trained candidates for the Club 16-24 Novices' Chase, the other being Flight Leader, who won the Grade Two Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in December, 2006.

Tizzard reported: "Either Joe Lively or Flight Leader will go for the novice chase but I don't think the ground will be soft enough for Flight Leader. He loves heavy ground so the weather would have to change completely for him to go there.

"Joe Lively will probably go to Wincanton on Saturday and if he comes out of the race fine then he will go to Cheltenham. He loves good ground and we have looked after him, so it wouldn't hurt for him to have two quick races."

The Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase was won last season by the Paul Nicholls-trained My Will, who defeated Idle Talk by half a length, while the previous year's renewal went to the JP McManus owned and Francois Doumen-trained Innox, who held Lou Du Moulin Mas by seven lengths and went on to add the Grade Three Racing Post Trophy the following February. The 2004 renewal went to the Martin Pipe-trained Stormez, who was winning the race for the second time, having first triumphed in 2002.

The Grade Three contest is part of a fantastic six-race card on Saturday, November 17, which features the prestigious £120,000 Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.40pm) over an extended two and a half miles.

Saturday's action also includes the £30,000 Grade Two Cleanevent Juvenile Novices' Hurdle (2.05pm), which was won last year by subsequent Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle hero Katchit.

Saturday, November 17, is day two of The Open at Cheltenham, which runs from Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18.

GOING

The current going on the Old Course is good (watered) while the cross country course is good to firm (watered in places).

The outlook for the next week is unsettled with some rain forecast.

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