Record 44 for bonusprint.com Gold Cup

A record 44-strong entry has been received for the #110,000 bonusprint.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 11, it is announced today, Thursday, November 25. This figure is one more than last year?s entry of 43, while there were 35 in 2002, 42 in 2001, 40 in 2000, 33 in 1999 and 34 in 1998. The bonusprint.com Gold Cup, founded in 1963, was known as the Tripleprint Gold Cup from 1992 until 2003 and still has the same sponsor.

Lambourn-based Nicky Henderson is seeking his third consecutive success in the Grade Three event, having won the prestigious handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs in 2002 with Fondmort, entered again, and Iris Royal last year. In addition to Fondmort, the trainer could also be represented by Calling Brave, a Grade Two winner at Kempton last season, Scots Grey and Non So.

Martin Pipe?s two successes in the bonusprint.com Gold Cup came with Northern Starlight six years ago and Fragrant Dawn in 1993 and the champion trainer has plenty of ammunition this year with no less than 10 possibles to choose from. These include Seebald, who made Best Mate work hard for victory at Exeter last week, two of last season?s leading novice chasers in Therealbandit and Our Vic plus Celestial Gold, who gave the trainer a seventh success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 13 during The Open.

Pipe could also run Vodka Bleu, who was also successful at The Open when taking the Jim Brown Memorial Novices? Chase, Puntal, Mondial Jack, It Takes Time, Iznogoud and Latitude.

Of those that ran behind Celestial Gold in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, several could reoppose Pipe?s charge including the runner-up Thisthatandtother, one of five entries for Paul Nicholls, third Monkerhostin, fourth Ollie Magern, fifth It Takes Time, seventh Tikram, ninth Le Duc, tenth Kelrev and eleventh Fondmort.

The bonusprint.com Gold Cup is the target of Tikram, who was victorious in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup Chase at last season?s Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Gary Moore said: 'Tikram is definitely going for the bonusprint.com Gold Cup.'

The seven-year-old had been due to run in a Windsor handicap chase on Saturday but was a non-runner in a race which saw five of the 10 starters fail to finish.

'I took Tikram out at Windsor as the ground went too soft - I?m glad I did as there was plenty of trouble in the race,' said the Brighton trainer.

The seven-year-old made a couple of mistakes on his seasonal debut in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, coming home 30 lengths behind winner Celestial Gold.

When asked if people should put a line through that run, Moore replied: 'That?s what I would do - I certainly hope so anyway although you can never be certain.

'Tikram seems to have come out of that run well. He doesn?t like schooling at home so he?s been to the indoor school and loose schooled once - he was good then. I just hope that the Paddy Power Gold Cup run was a one-off.'

There are three entries from Ireland headed by Nil Desperandum, a Grade One winner for Frances Crowley at Fairyhouse last season. He could be joined by the Willie Mullins-trained duo of Mossy Green and Jasmin d?Oudairies.

Other contenders for the bonusprint.com Gold Cup include Armaturk, triumphant in the Beards Jewellers Cup Chase over two miles at The Open, Farmer Jack, who fell in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but is the current leader in the British Horseracing Board?s Order of Merit series, of which the bonusprint.com Gold Cup forms a part, and Massac who completed a hat-trick at Windsor on Saturday.

Owner Jim Lewis and trainer Henrietta Knight might be represented by Impek, runner-up in the 2003 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at The Festival, while Howard Johnson could send down Ballybough Rasher, not seen out since landing the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in November, 2003.

Finally, the most interesting runner would be Fundamentalist. Nigel Twiston-Davies? very exciting novice has won both his starts over fences, as well as last season?s Royal & SunAlliance Novices? Hurdle at The Festival. His latest run was at The Open on November 14 when the impressive winner of the Grade Two Independent Newspaper Novices? Chase. The trainer also has Redemption, who was going well when falling two out last year, and Ollie Magern entered.

Peter McNeile, Commercial Manager at Cheltenham, commented: 'We could not have wished for a finer entry for the bonusprint.com Gold Cup which is the highlight of the second day of the December Meeting.'