Eight For Pillar Property Chase

A total of eight entries have been received for the £80,000 Grade Two Pillar Property Chase (3.10pm) at Cheltenham on Saturday, January 29, after the race was reopened until 9.15am yesterday.

Included among the octet are last season´s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Sir Rembrandt, trained by Robert Alner, while Martin Pipe is responsible for Therealbandit, successful four times at Cheltenham in the past including in the Mears Group Chase on December 10 when he defeated Royal Auclair, also entered in the Pillar Property Chase, by three lengths.

Other possibles include the tough performer Grey Abbey, last season´s Scottish National winner and triumphant on his seasonal reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. Trainer Howard Johnson told The Times today that he hopes to aim the popular grey at the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup after Saturday and that he will also enter him in the Grand National.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has entered leading novice Ollie Magern, last seen out when taking the Grade One Feltham Novices´ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, while Peter Bowen could be represented by Ballycassidy, second under 11st 10lb to Stormez on his most recent appearance on November 13 in the Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, where he was making his seasonal reappearance.

Last season the nine-year-old Ballycassidy was successful three times in novice company last season, including in a Grade Two contest at Newbury and was also second to Strong Flow in the Feltham Novices´ Chase at Kempton in December, 2003.

Pembrokeshire-based Bowen said today: 'Ballycassidy is a definite runner in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

'He coughed quite a bit after his last run behind Stormez at Cheltenham in November but is fine again now and ready to run.

'If he goes well on Saturday, he will go on to the AON Chase at Newbury next month and then hopefully he will go on to the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

'I´m hoping that the ground will not be too soft on Saturday, as he is a better horse on good ground.'

Completing the field are the Irish challenger Cloudy Bays, trained by Charles Byrnes and successful on his last two starts at Tramore and Leopardstown, and Strong Magic from the John Cornwall yard.

The Pillar Property Chase is one of four races on Saturday´s tremendous card that are part of the British Horseracing Board´s Order of Merit competition, offering a good opportunity to earn some valuable points. The Victor Chandler Chase, the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle and the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase are the other three Order of Merit contests on January 29.