Miko Set For Red Square Vodka Gold Cup Miko de Beauchene will bid for further staying chase glory in the £125,000 Grade Three Red Square Vodka Gold Cup, run over an extended three and a half miles, at Haydock Park on Saturday, February 16. Nick Mitchell, assistant trainer to Robert and Sally Alner, reports the eight-year-old gelding to be in fine form following his emotional victory in the Grade Three Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27. Mitchell said today: "Miko de Beauchene is a definite for the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup on Saturday. We gave him a nice long break after the Welsh National because he had a hard race that day. We thought about Cheltenham in January, but the owners decided to keep him fresh for Haydock. "He´s run twice before at Haydock and definitely prefers left-handed tracks. Good to soft ground will be fine for him, but any rain would be a bonus. He´s in great shape and looking really well, so we´re hopeful of a good run on Saturday." Miko de Beauchene will face some stiff competition on Saturday and Navan-based trainer Arthur Moore is hoping to run his unexposed chaser King Johns Castle in Saturday´s feature race, the richest handicap chase of the season at Haydock Park. The nine-year-old gelding was a gallant runner-up to Mister Top Notch in the valuable Pierse Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on January 13, despite being hampered by the winner in the closing stages. Moore was happy with the J P McManus-owned gelding´s display on his first start in handicap chase company and is keen to see King Johns Castle take on some of this country´s leading stayers at Haydock Park. Moore commented: "Hopefully, King Johns Castle will run in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup on Saturday, although I wouldn´t want the weights to go up. I was pleased with his second in the Pierse Chase at Leopardstown and he stayed the three miles really well. "He´s a horse who needs some cut in the ground, so good to soft ground on Saturday would be no problem for him." Moore has some concern over the step up in distance on Saturday, but feels that the time is right for his nine-year-old gelding to face a trip of more than three miles for the first time. Moore added: "Stepping up in trip on Saturday is a bit of an unknown, but we need to see if he has potential over a longer distance. He´s entered in the John Smith´s Grand National and, if he did something special on Saturday, we would be thinking about Aintree." King Johns Castle is set to be joined by fellow Irish raider Point Barrow, trained in County Carlow by Pat Hughes. The pair could bid to give Ireland a second success in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup, following the victory of Nuaffe for Pat Fahy in 1995. Last season´s Racing Post Trophy hero Simon is also among the possibilities for Saturday´s feature race, while champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who sent out Shotgun Willy to victory in 2003, has entered L´Aventure, Geeveem and Opera Mundi, who was a game winner on his last visit to Haydock in the Betting As It Should Be Handicap on November 24. The 2006 Red Square Vodka Gold Cup winner Ossmoses is a likely starter for trainer Dom Forster, while Alan King could run D´Argent, who prevailed over fellow entries Philson Run, Blue Splash and Sixo in the Grade Three totesport.com Classic Chase at Warwick on January 12. Saturday´s card also boasts two Grade Two races, including the £40,000 RealHolidayReports.com Rendlesham Hurdle (1.05pm). The three-mile contest has attracted a strong entry, including the Jonjo O´Neill-trained trio of Black Jack Ketchum, Wichita Lineman and Refinement, as well as last year´s winner Labelthou. Millenium Royal could return to the course where he won the Betfair "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle on November 24 and the eight-year-old gelding could re-oppose the second Sonnyanjoe and Special Envoy, who was unlucky when falling at the last in that contest. The £30,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices´ Hurdle (1.35pm), also over three miles, looks set to be a cracking race, with Keith Reveleley hoping to run his star novice Tazbar. The six-year-old gelding could oppose Gone To Lunch, who finished third behind Inglis Drever and Blazing Bailey in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 26 and Grade One Challow Novices´ Hurdle scorer Souffleur. Ground The ground at Haydock Park is currently GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN PLACES.
