Search
Cheltenham 2024
- Main Site
- Cheltenham Home
- Cheltenham Cards
- Cheltenham Results
- Cheltenham Offers
- Cheltenham Odds
- Cheltenham Tips
- Cheltenham News
- Prestbury Cup
- Cheltenham Videos
-
Cheltenham Statistics
- Leading Trainer
- Leading Jockeys
- Leading Owners
- Previous Years
- Previous Appearances
- Breeding Profile of Winners
- Lady Jockeys at The Festival
- Leading Jockey Award Winners
- Most Successful Jockeys of All Time
- Current Jockeys Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Jockey In..
- Leading Trainer Award Winners
- Most Successfull Trainer All Time
- Current Trainers Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Trainer In..
- Cheltenham Trainer/Runner Index
- Desktop Site
Cheltenham 2024
- Home
- News
Va Pensiero set Leopardstown assignment
Va Pensiero
© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld pitches his well-bred Dundalk winner Va Pensiero into the Godolphin Student Initiative Handicap at Leopardstown on Wednesday.
The three-year-old daughter of High Chaparral has been given a rating of 81 after staying on well to make a successful introduction over a mile on the Polytrack in February.
There is every hope she will handle the forecast testing conditions in Foxrock being out of Pivotal mare Thoughtless Moment, who won two races at this track, including the valuable September Handicap.
Weld also has good prospects with Look Closer in the Racecourse Of The Year Maiden. His only previous outing came at this track when third to Tonkinese last June.
However, The Gurkha makes his debut for Aidan O'Brien and holds entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Investec Derby and Irish Derby. Somehow appears the pick of the O'Brien trio on jockey bookings in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden. She made a perfectly respectable debut here in October when third to well-backed stablemate Pretty Perfect.
Weld's Shamreen is match-fit from being placed at the Curragh last month and looks the danger. Love In The Sun won on heavy ground in Cork for Weld and Pat Smullen and has to go on the shortlist when stepped up in trip for the mile-and-a-quarter Spin 1038 Handicap. Athenry Boy could outrun his odds in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap. He was second to Prospector in a big-field handicap at this venue in October and gets in off 4lb lower. Beechmount Whisper has made the frame in eight of his 11 races but opportunity might knock in the "Colours Bar" Handicap on the back of a solid runner-up finish in Cork.