Gifted added to Fighting Fifth

One extra entry was received today for the Pertemps `Fighting Fifth` Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday after the race was reopened.

The Stg#37,000 Grade Two event, run over two miles, was reoffered after just seven entries were received yesterday - but only the Tim Easterby-trained Simply Gifted was added to the field.

The seven original entries eight are Landing Light (trained by Nicky Henderson), Montalcino (Venetia Williams), Teaatral (Charlie Egerton), Dibea Times (Malcolm Jefferson), Double Blade (Mary Reveley), Telemoss and The French Furze (both Nicky Richards).

The race offers Stg#22,200 to the winner and is due to be televised by Channel 4.

Last year`s running was won by Barton, trained by Tim Easterby and ridden by Tony Dobbin, who is among 13 entries for the Stanley Racing Novices` Chase on the same Newcastle card.

Classy hurdler Dibea Times, who missed a planned outing at Wincanton, is reported on target for the `Fighting Fifth`.

Trainer Malcolm Jefferson took the four-year-old gelding out of the K J Pike & Sons Elite Hurdle (Limited Handicap) earlier this month because the ground was too fast.

But he today reported Dibea Times to be raring to go for the Gosforth Park race.

'He`s fine. He`s in good form. Everything has got to go right but I think he has got a good chance.

'If everything goes all right, he will probably go for the Christmas Hurdle (at Kempton),' said Jefferson.

He confirmed that regular partner Graham Lee would again take the mount.