Greatwood Hurdle Potential high-class field

CAPE TRIBULATION, fifth in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle last season at the Cheltenham Festival, could make his hurdling reappearance in the Grade 3 Greatwood Hurdle next month. The five year old Malcom Jefferson trained was among 56 entrants for the extended 2m race, won last season by Numide, and Jefferson could be doulby represented, with Issaquah also entered. Jefferson said: "Is being aimed Issaquah at the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle because two miles is her trip, she ran a wonder race around there in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle at The Festival but did not get home (finished ninth), so I know she acts around there. "She's in good nick, so if everything went right and the ground was on the soft side, she would go there with a opportunity."I put Cape Tribulation in but he ran a bit of stinker on Saturday. We scoped him and he is on antibiotics but if it came up soft I wouldn't mind running him, as long as he is right. In a race like the Greatwood, I would not mind running them both because the prize money is so good and we are limited as to when we can run these horses."Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle runner up Celestial Halo, and Starluck, an impressive winner on his first start of the season at Cheltenham earlier in the month, are also entered, along with the highly rated Ashkazar and Blue Bajan from the Andrew Turnell stable. There is no shortage of potential Irish entrants, with Clopf, Donna's Palm, and Raise Your Heart, who scored on the Flat at Leopardstown earlier this week, among 16 possibles.

Venalmar to go novice chasing on return

VENALMAR, runner up in the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival, is back in training having missed all of final season and is to go novice chasing.The seven year old's trainer Mouse Morris said on Monday: "Venalmar had to have a chipremoved from a leg, but he's all rigth now and the plan is to start him off over hedge in October or November."Winner of the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Slaney Novice Hurdle over 2m4f at Naas in January 2008, Venalmar lost out by a neck to Fiveforthree at Cheltenham two months later.He has not run since finishing down the field at the Punchestown festival in April 2008.

LATEST STORIES
» Staff wanted at Arabian Racing Organisation 5:30pm 25 Aug 09
» Manning wins appeal against two-day ban 5:07pm 25 Aug 09
» Owner Kay Russell ventures into Dragons' Den 4:31pm 25 Aug 09
» Hughes has suspected broken collarbone after Sedgefield fall 3:50pm 25 Aug 09
» Murphy hoping for September return from injury 3:37pm 25 Aug 09
» Godolphin add Long Lashes to Moyglare Stud Stakes 3:20pm 25 Aug 09
» Nicky Henderson 'horrified' by fake Facebook profile 3:00pm 25 Aug 09
» Manifest connections deliver St Leger warning 12:59pm 25 Aug 09
» Dunwoody 33-1 to win Strictly Come Dancing 1:36pm 25 Aug 09
» Delegator evens favourite for Celebration Mile 1:11pm 25 Aug 09

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL PROFITS PLUNGE AS PUNTERS BEAT THE BOOKIES

The betting shops or sobbing on the racetrack this news will not have punters weeping: the UK's largest bookmaker is William Hill. The bookmarker, said today it had tired "a run of abominable results" that had sent profits from its sports betting division tumbling.
A string of favourites romping home at Cheltenham, including the heavily backed Kauto Star in the Gold Cup, the dominance of the big four in the Premier League and a run of other predictable results had, it claimed, resulted in a reversal of the old adage about the bookmaker always winning.
Warning that profits for the full year were likely to be lower than expected – despite increased income from in-store betting terminals helping to make up for the decline in revenues from its traditional sports betting business it revealed that it had ended up out of pocket on football bets for the first time ever in May.
William Hill also admitted it was vulnerable to the effects of the economic slump and rising unemployment, contradicting rash statements from some in the industry earlier in the year that it might prove to be largely recession-proof.Ralph Topping, the chief executive, said the company had delivered "a solid trading performance in the first half, in spite of the tough economic environment and a mixed set of sporting results". He said that even a victory for a 100-1 outsider in the Grand National was not enough to raise a lasting smile.

Kauto Star's reclaimes Cheltenham Gold Cup crown

but the highlight of the week was undoubtedly Kauto Star's demolition of the opposition to make history and reclaim his totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup crown.Master Minded defended his title in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, Big Buck's was a gritty winner of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle

Cheltenham Festival - Memorable Moments