Excellent 42 entries for Paddy Power Gold Cup

Our Vic 9/2 favourite with the sponsor
This year?s #110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, the feature race of the three-day The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 12-14), to be held on Saturday, November 13, at Cheltenham, has attracted 42 high-class entries including six from Ireland.

Last year?s winner Fondmort is a 16/1 chance with the sponsors to follow up on his 2003 victory, when he justified favouritism to score by eight lengths from Poliantas.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has won the 2m 4.5f contest six times courtesy of Beau Ranger (1987), Challenger Du Luc (1996), Cyfor Malta (1998), Lady Cricket (2000), Shooting Light (2001) and Cyfor Malta (2002) and this year has seven entries.

These include Our Vic, who has been made 9/2 favourite by Paddy Power, the three and a quarter length third to Rule Supreme in last season?s Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham?s National Hunt Festival in March, Seebald, winner of the Faucets For Mira Showers Silver Trophy Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in April when defeating Tikram (12/1) by half a length, and Therealbandit (10/1), winner of three races at Cheltenham last season.

Pipe?s powerful team is completed by Puntal, winner of this year?s Betfred Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown in April, It Takes Time (16/1), Mondial Jack, successful on his last two outings, and Celestial Gold, winner of the April Novices? Chase at Cheltenham.

Fellow Somerset trainer Philip Hobbs was victorious in this event in 1989 with Joint Sovereignty and his three entries are Farmer Jack (8/1), Monkerhostin (13/2) and Cameron Bridge.

Farmer Jack was extremely impressive when winning Sunday?s totesport Wigan Chase by 11 lengths from Take The Stand (10/1), while Monkerhostin showed tenacity when getting the better of Vodka Bleu by a neck on his seasonal debut in a handicap chase at Stratford earlier this month. Cameron Bridge also won on Sunday, scoring in the Desert Orchid Silver Cup at Wincanton by four lengths from Kelrev.

Colca Canyon (10/1) and Risk Accessor (12/1), trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington and Christy Roche respectively, were first and second in this month?s Munster National at Limerick and the pair could bid to become the first Irish-trained winner since Bright Highway prevailed for Michael O?Brien in 1980.

O?Brien could try for a second personal success for himself with Banasan, who won his last start in the Kerry National at Listowel in September, defeating Fatherofthebride by a length and a half.

The Irish contingent is completed by Barrow Drive, a winner of two chases this year and the 12 length third to One Knight in the 2003 Royal & SunAlliance Chase, Ground Ball, two and a half lengths adrift of St Pirran in this year?s Grand Annual Chase at The Festival, and Winning Dream, third in the 2003 Irish Grand National.

Henry Daly could run Hand Inn Hand (16/1) and Jakari (16/1). The former was four lengths too strong for Impek in the Grade One Ascot Chase on the last day of January, while Jakari was a winner at this meeting last year in the equivalent of the Club 16-24 Handicap Chase.

Le Roi Miguel (16/1), Thisthatandtother (14/1), Le Duc, L?Ange Au Ciel (16/1) and Spring Margot also give Paul Nicholls a strong hand in this competitive event.

Le Roi Miguel was disappointing at the end of last season but won two Grade One novice chases in 2003, Thisthatandtother won four novice chases last season, Le Duc is considered well-handicapped by owner Andy Stewart and was fourth behind Farmer Jack last weekend, L?Ange Au Ciel won his only start for the Somerset trainer in a novices? chase at Exeter in December, while Spring Margot has joined him from Venetia Williams?s yard having been off the track for over two years.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ollie Magern is a 16/1 shot after his comfortable success in Wednesday?s Ian Williams Owners Novices? Chase at Cheltenham, where he defeated Comply Or Die by two and a half lengths

Weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup will be revealed on Wednesday, November 3.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is one of 63 races involved in the British Horseracing Board?s new Order of Merit competition. The connections of the overall winner with the most points throughout the season will receive #200,000 - 75% to the owner, 12.5% to the trainer and the same again to the stable staff.

The winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, as a Grade Three event, will score 10 points while horses placed second to eighth will be allocated points on a sliding scale down to one point for eighth.

For further information, please contact Peter McNeile, Cheltenham?s Commercial Manager at Cheltenham Racecourse on 01242 513014 or on his mobile 07850 091523

The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 12-14) is three days which herald the moment when Jump Racing takes centre stage and people gather to celebrate top quality steeplechasing and hurdle racing. Each day has its own character and together they form an irresistible package. In recent years horses have travelled over from Ireland and Cheltenham has welcomed international challengers from France, Norway and the Czech Republic.

Friday, November 12 is Countryside Day, Saturday, November 13 is Paddy Power Gold Cup Day, Cheltenham?s first great occasion of the season with a crowd of 25,000 expected to witness the #110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, while Sunday, November 14 features the #70,000 Greatwood Hurdle and sporting activities between members of Club 16-24 and the Young Farmers? Clubs.

Friday/Sunday admission prices are Club/Tattersalls: #20 (#18 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): #16; 16-24s: #12; Best Mate: #6; Rooster Booster Raceday Package: #44 and Best Mate Raceday Package: #22.

Saturday?s admission prices are Club: #30 (#22 in advance); Tattersalls: #20 (#18 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): #16; Tattersalls seat: #15; 16-24s: #15; Best Mate: #10 (#8 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): #7; Rooster Booster Raceday Package: #44 and Best Mate Raceday Package: #24.

PADDY POWER ANTE-POST PRICES: 9/2 fav Our Vic, 13/2 Monkerhostin, 8 Farmer Jack, 10 Colca Canyon, Take The Stand, Therealbandit, 12 Calling Brave, Risk Accessor, Tikram 14 Ballycassidy, Thisthatandtother ,16 Fondmort, Hand Inn Hand, It Takes Time, Jakari, L?Ange Au Ciel, Le Roi Miguel, Ollie Magern, Scots Grey, Simply Gifted, 20 bar

EW 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4. Others on request. Ante-post rules apply.