Outstanding 54-Strong Entry For Greatwood Handicap Hurdle

This year´s £50,000 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, to be run on Saturday, November 13 at The Open at Cheltenham, has attracted 54 high-class entries, including 13 possible Irish raiders.

Inglis Drever heads the list of potential contenders for the Grade Three contest over an extended two miles. Howard Johnson´s champion staying hurdler, winner of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at The Festival as well as the inaugural BHB Order of Merit last season, is one of three entries from the trainer´s County Durham yard and confirmed his wellbeing with an impressive victory in Saturday´s West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby.

Johnson could also saddle No Refuge, victorious in the two mile five furlong, Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Novices´ Hurdle at The Festival, and Dalaram.

One trainer eyeing this year´s pize is Newmarket-based Lucy Wadham, who could run Fenix. The six-year-old put up some notable performances last season, notably when runner-up to Medison in the Imperial Cup at Sandown.

Wadham reported today: 'We´d like to go to Cheltenham, it´s in my thoughts to run the horse. He´s fit and well and in very good order. He´ll probably improve for the run but we´re keen to see how he operates at Cheltenham'.

The trainer did sound a note of caution, stating that the horse would be an unlikely starter if the likes of Inglis Drever and Rooster Booster remained in the race and that her charge needed some give in the ground to take his chance.

'We´d be doubtful if those top ones run because we would be out of the handicap. He likes cut so good to soft or softer is fine, but good ground wouldn´t be fine.'

Wadham confirmed that Fenix would be aimed at the top two-mile handicap hurdles run at Sandown, including the Imperial Cup, in which he has finished placed for the last two years.

'We´re looking at races at Sandown as he seems to love it there. A stiff two miles is what he wants and we want to go to Sandown as much as possible, but there´s no race for him there until December so we´re looking for something before then. He was in the conditional jockeys´ race last week but he had a corn so we had to take him out although he´s fine now. I put him in the Elite Hurdle but I think he won´t get in the weights there. He takes his racing well and is better off with these light weights in the big handicaps than with a lot of weight in smaller races.'

Accordion Etoile crossed the Irish Sea to land this race last year for trainer Paul Nolan, beating Westender by three lengths, to become only the second Irish horse to land the prize since 1990, following the Jessica Harrington-trained Space Trucker in 1996.

Nolan hopes to keep the race in the family as his two-strong entry includes French Accordion, a brother to last year´s winner and successful in a Grade 3 novices´ hurdle over two miles at Tipperary on October 2. Sirius Storm, winner of a two and a half mile handicap hurdle at Naas on October 16, completes the duo.

The list of potential Irish challengers also includes Power Elite, fifth to Essex in the totesport Trophy at Newbury in February and Kilbeggan Lad, winner of the Guinness Handicap Hurdle over two miles at Listowel in September.

Martin Pipe always plays a strong hand at The Open and he has saddled the winner of the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle four times in the last 15 years with Liadett (1990), Valfinet (1992), Rodock (1999) and Westender (2001).

Westender could again take his chance as he is one of six Pipe entries that also includes last season´s prolific winner Marcel, victorious over the course and distance in the Sharp Novices´ Hurdle at last season´s The Open, and Buena Vista, first past the post on his last four starts including when landing the valuable totescoop6 Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen on July 16.

Fontanesi scored at The Festival in the Vincent O´Brien County Hurdle in March and could take his chance. Tamarinbleu and classy French recruit Don´t Be Shy complete the Pipe contingent.

Rooster Booster, triumphant on his seasonal debut at Huntingdon on October 15, when he defeated Genghis by five lengths, won this race in 2002 under top-weight of 11st 12lb en route to victory in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at The Festival the following March. Philip Hobbs could unleash the veteran in a bid to repeat that success in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle and improve on his fourth-place finish last year.

Hobbs may also run Made In Japan, winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival in 2004 but subsequently disappointing over fences last season.

Paul Nicholls saddled Rigmarole to win the race in 2003 at 33/1 and he has seven entered this time including last year´s third Perouse. He could be joined by Cerium who won the Jet UK Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle over this trip at The Open last year and later ran fourth to Penzance in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival. Stablemate Phar Bleu was one place behind on both occasions.

Nicholls could also run Sporazene, winner of the 2004 Vincent O´Brien County Hurdle, Darrias, successful in a novice hurdle at the course on October 26, Albuhera and Chockdee.

The Jonjo O´Neill-trained Intersky Falcon, third to Hardy Eustace in the 2004 Smurfit Champion Hurdle, is entered along with stablemates Lingo, unraced since capturing the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January of that year, and Hasty Prince.

Self Defense has been in fine form in Group company on the Flat and the 2003 Smurfit Champion Hurdle fourth could bid to build on that for trainer Emma Lavelle.

Mighty Man proved himself one of last season´s most exciting novice hurdlers as he went through the season unbeaten in four starts, culminating in a half-length defeat of Dusky Warbler in the Grade 2 John Smith´s Top Novices´ Hurdle at Aintree last April. Henry Daly´s charge could renew rivalry with the gelding, one of three Gary Moore-trained possibles.

Royal Shakespeare disappointed a few times last season but showed some high-class form when chasing home Ghengis in the Scottish Champion Hurdle in April.

Nicky Henderson´s three possible runners are Non So, The Market Man and Afrad, a winner twice on the flat this summer and a well-beaten favourite in the totesport Cesarewitch at Newmarket on his last start.

Weights for the Greatwood Hurdle will be revealed on Wednesday, November 2.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the eighth of 63 races involved in the British Horseracing Board´s Order of Merit competition. 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 sane again to the stable staff.

The winner of the Greatwood Hurdle, 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.

The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 11-13) 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 11 is Countryside Day, Saturday, November 12 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 13 features the £50,000 Greatwood Hurdle.

Friday/Sunday admission prices are Club/Tattersalls: £20 (£18 in advance, £16 if booked online); Group Rate (15 or more): £16; 16-24s: £12; Best Mate: £8 (£6.40 if booked online); Rooster Booster Raceday Package: £46 and Best Mate Raceday Package: £25.

Saturday´s admission prices are Club: £30 (£25 in advance, £24 if booked online, 16-24s £20); Tattersalls: £20 (£18 in advance, £16 if booked online); Group Rate (15 or more): £16; Tattersalls seat: £15; Best Mate: £10 (£8 in advance); Group Rate (15 or more): £7; Rooster Booster Raceday Package: £46 and Best Mate Raceday Package: £25.