13 for Tommy Whittle Chase

Murphy aiming 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Truckers Tavern at £60,000 race
A fascinating Tommy Whittle Chase is in prospect with 13 high-class contenders entered at today´s five-day entry stage for the Grade Two £60,000 event taking place at Haydock Park on Saturday, December 4.

Last year´s winner Keen Leader from the Jonjo O´Neill stable is a possible once again along with Truckers Tavern, the runner-up 12 months ago who was also second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Truckers Tavern made his seasonal reappearance this season over hurdles at Ayr on November 7, finishing fourth behind The French Furze over an inadequate two and a half miles.Trainer Ferdy Murphy stated today that the nine-year-old is likely to have his next outing at Haydock Park on Saturday.

'Truckers Tavern will go for the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday,' said Murphy. 'He´s progressed well since his seasonal reappearance at Ayr and we´re really pleased with him.

'We were tempted to give him another run over hurdles at Chepstow, but we feel that as he has progressed so well since Ayr, a run over fences would be more beneficial to him.'

Murphy went on to reveal that he feels Haydock Park plays to Truckers Tavern´s strengths: 'He likes Haydock - he was second in this race last year and won the Peter Marsh Chase the season before. The track is ideal for him.

'We could really do with some rain for him - get the drums beating at Haydock! Hopefully Tony Dobbin will be available to ride him, as that will be a big help.'

Keen Leader was beaten into third place behind Horus and Chives in Haydock Park´s first major chase of the season, the Edward Hanmer Handicap Chase on November 14 and the trio could all reoppose on Saturday. Sue Smith, trainer of Chives, could also run Royal Emperor, one of the leading novices last season.

Two interesting contenders on the comeback trail are the Howard Johnson-trained Ballybough Rasher, not seen out since causing a 40/1 upset in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last season and the 2003 Royal & SunAlliance Chase victor One Knight, from the Philip Hobbs stable and last seen out when falling in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November, 2003.

There are two entries from Ireland, headed by Edward O´Grady´s Pizarro, victorious in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2002 and not seen out since being brought down when going well in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the same course in March. The other Irish challenger is Cloudy Bays, trained by Charles Byrnes, who has been in great form this season, finishing third behind Beef Or Salmon in a Grade One contest at Down Royal on his penultimate start and second in the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase on his latest appearance on November 18.

Also entered are the 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Sir Rembrandt, Nigel Twiston-Davies´ promising novice Baron Windrush, the tough and consistent Take The Stand and Ballybrophy.

This year´s Tommy Whittle Chase forms part of the British Horseracing Board´s exciting new Order of Merit Series, which awards points to the best chasers and hurdlers throughout the season with a total of £300,000 in prize money up for grabs.

The ground at Haydock Park is currently GOOD TO SOFT on the hurdles course and GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN PLACES on the chase course.

Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright explained: 'We are due for a substantially cold and dry week. I would think that the ground will be broadly the same at the weekend as it is now.'