23 Remain In Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup

A total of 23 horses remain engaged in the £110,000 Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup (sponsored by totesport), the highlight of Cheltenham´s December Meeting on Saturday, December 10. The Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup is race number 17 in the British Horseracing Board´s Order of Merit series.

Martin Pipe has already collected the first big prize of the season with Our Vic, successful last month in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. The seven-year-old is on course to try and become only the third horse to win both races in the same season, following on from Senor El Betrutti in 1997 and Pegwell Bay in 1988.

Owner David Johnson said today: 'Our Vic has gone up 9lb for having won the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but he´s a big horse and should carry the extra weight.

'I hope that lightning can strike twice. He has had a month off and is fit and fresh, but it is now in the lap of the gods as to whether he can win two big Cheltenham handicaps in a row.'

Trainer Martin Pipe added: 'I´m very pleased with Our Vic - he´s very well at the moment.'

Pipe, successful with Fragrant Dawn in 1993 and Northern Starlight in 1998, could also run It Takes Time, Therealbandit and Tango Royal.

Another trainer well represented is Nicky Henderson, who has the 2002 winner Fondmort, 2003 victor Iris Royal and Scots Grey still engaged.

The master of Seven Barrows said today: 'All three are probable runners at the moment. The two definites are Fondmort and Scots Grey.

'Fondmort has 11st 6lb and this is the first time for a while he hasn´t carried the top weight or near top weight. He was fourth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Mick Fitzgerald sat on him on Saturday and we were very pleased with him.

'Scots Grey made a pleasing comeback when winning at Wincanton last month and we are looking forward to giving him another chance in a big race.

'I need to talk to the owner of Iris Royal [Sir Robert Ogden] as he is also entered in the Mears Group Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Friday.'

Paul Nicholls has his team in fine form at the moment and the Ditcheat handler could bid to go one better with Thisthatandtother, who was second to Monkerhostin in this contest 12 months ago. This time around, he also has Armaturk and Le Passing engaged.

Nicholls commented: 'All three might run. Thisthatandtother is a definite while Le Passing will run if the ground is soft. For Armaturk there are not many opportunities, so he could be in the field as well.'

Lacdoudal was slightly disappointing when finishing sixth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but put up a decent performance when landing the Future Stars Chase at Sandown last Friday.

His trainer Philip Hobbs said today: 'I expect Lacdoudal will run. He´s come out of his race at Sandown on Friday very well.

'Made In Japan could also line up. He´s also got the option of the two-mile Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday as well.'

Strong Supporting Races On Saturday

In addition to the £110,000 Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup, Cheltenham hosts some fine supporting races on Saturday.

The £75,000 totesport Bula Hurdle, a Grade Two contest run over two miles and a furlong, could see a fascinating clash between leading Irish hurdler Harchibald, who finished second in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and Faasel, one of the top novice hurdlers of last season who ran second on his reappearance at Haydock on November 19.

Other entries include Royal Shakespeare, winner of the totesport.com Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November, Penzance, who just got the better of Faasel in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, plus decent performers Westender, Intersky Falcon, Akilak and Phar Bleu.

The £20,000 Relkeel Hurdle, run over an extended two miles and five furlongs, features a number of interesting entries, including Moulin Riche from the Francois Doumen stable, who took the Brit Insurance Novices´ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Brewster, trained by Ian Williams, one of last season´s top staying novice hurdlers, and The Market Man, who won impressively last time at Newbury on November 25,

Fassel and Akilak, who also hold engagements in the totesport Bula Hurdle (see above), My Way De Solzen, Mighty Man, Don´t Be Shy and Pennyrose Bay are other possibles for the race.

The £30,000 Brit Insurance Novices´ Hurdle (due off at 3:45pm), a Grade Two affair run over three miles, could feature some of the best staying novices seen so far this season.

The entries are headed by Jonjo O´Neill´s Black Jack Ketchum, unbeaten in four starts and an authoritative winner at Cheltenham last time out over two miles and five furlongs at the Open Meeting in the Gideon Kasler Novices´ Hurdle. Other interesting entries include Rimsky, Gungadu, Mister Quasimodo and the Francois Doumen-trained Innox, better known for his exploits over fences.

GROUND

The ground at Cheltenham is currently GOOD TO SOFT on all courses.

Last Thursday and Friday saw 3mm of rain fall at the course, while conditions were dry over the weekend.