Don't Miss First at Exeter There is a very interesting novice hurdle to start off William Hill Gold Cup Chase Day at Exeter which will see ex Irish 'pointers' According To Dick and Penharold capture much of the attention in the eighteen runner event. According To Dick scored at Loughbrickland back in April for Trevor Horgan and owner Dick Frisby. The good-looking son of Accordion was sold to Aiden Murphy the following Wednesday at Brightwells' Cheltenham Sale for #205,000. Since then the five-year-old hasn't disappointed his new connections of Diana Whateley and Philip Hobbs, impressively landing a Cheltenham bumper. Hobbs said after that: "We all knew he was an exciting prospect but he could be a bit keen so it was good to see him settle well. We could send him back to Cheltenham for the bumper at the Paddy Power meeting but the preferred option is to start him off over hurdles. I thought before he won that he was one of our nicest prospects, and he did nothing to change that view." Penharold meanwhile took an Oldcastle youngster's contest in March for Colin Magnier. Significantly, the one he beat there, Presenting Forever (badly hampered at the first and subsequently a winner at Templemore) later changed hands for #370,000 (a record price for a pointer) at Doncaster's May Sale and is now in Howard Johnson's care. Magnier described Penharold after that success as a good horse. He trained the Arctic Lord gelding for English-owner, Jane Walter, and he went on: "He's got gears and jumps for fun and I expect he'll soon be moving to England to race." That has now come about and Penharold, still in the same ownership, now races for Alan King. He commented of his charge: "He is an exciting recruit that will go novice hurdling at around two and a half miles and while it's too early to know how good he is, I like what I've seen." There are some other interesting contenders here too but early betting makes it ten to one bar the big two. (EM)
