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| Cheltenham Festival 2010 |
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ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE on Friday, March 19 and a potential Irish challenge of 30 is headed by the Paul Nolan-trained Shinrock Paddy, who won a Listed bumper at Cheltenham in November, 2008, and recorded an impressive 15-length victory on his latest start in the Grade One Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan on December 13.
Nolan reported: “Shinrock Paddy holds an entry in both the Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle but he is more than likely to go for the three-mile option. He just got a bit of infection in one of his heels last month but he is 100 per cent now and we will head straight to The Festival with him. I don’t want to rush him into running and he will have a gallop on the grass before heading to Cheltenham.
“He won a Grade One very easily and, while the runner-up has disappointed since, The Hurl (third) won well on his latest start. If our horse can reproduce that kind of form at Cheltenham, then he should have a nice chance.
“We have always been very fond of him and his debut win over hurdles (Punchestown, October 28) might have turned out to be a better race than people thought on the day. He has jumped very well on both his starts this season and he stayed on very well at Navan, which is a very stiff track when the going is heavy, so he looks to be a proper stayer. With the ground being that much better at The Festival, we think that he will travel that bit easier and sweeter over three miles.”
Australian trainer Anthony Cosgriff plans to be represented by the eight-year-old Gorge, who finished fourth in the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown, Australia, in August.
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A notable chaser with an entry is the David Pipe-trained Madison Du Berlais, runner-up to Kauto Star in this season’s Grade One King George VI Chase, while Evan Williams has entered Cappa Bleu, victorious in the 2009 Christie’s Foxhunter Chase at The Festival. Henry Daly has entered the John Smith’s Grand National hope Possol.
Other interesting contenders include Tell Massini, trained locally by Tom George and the winner of Grade Two novices’ hurdles at Cheltenham in both November and December. Restless Harry also has winning form at Prestbury Park having impressed on Saturday when landing the Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.
