Warwick Racecourse prepares for national spotlight
AFTER the record New Year’s Eve crowd of over 6,500 racegoers, Warwick officials are hoping for another bumper attendance on Saturday for Betfred Classic Chase Day, the course’s richest meeting of the season, writes David Hucker.
With over £160,000 in prize money up for grabs and television coverage on ITV4, the meeting sees Warwick in the national spotlight and general manager Andre Klein is looking forwarding forward to another busy afternoon.
“We were thrilled to attract what was a huge crowd on New Year’s Eve, well up on the great attendance we had the previous year, and continued the positive upward trend we’ve enjoyed over the last 12 months,” said Klein.
“It will be a great opportunity to see some top quality horses who could go on to become household names in the near future, and indeed might challenge at the Randox Health Grand National in April.”
Run over the marathon trip of three miles and five furlongs, the £60,000 Betfred Classic Handicap Chase is a real test of endurance for both horse and jockey and, with 34 entries, it looks like a big field will be lining up on Saturday.
Last year, just five finished, headed by Russe Blanc, the only white horse in training, who ran on strongly to beat Midnight Prayer, who looked to have his measure approaching the final fence. His form figures since that win don’t make for happy reading and it would take a real stretch of the imagination to see him scoring again.
The runner-up has also had mixed fortunes and, in an open contest, preference is for Vivaldi Collonges, who is clearly talented, but needs to step up on a disappointing seasonal debut run, and Doctor Harper, who signalled a return to his best form when just touched off by Tour Des Champs at Cheltenham.
Champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins dominated the 2016 running of the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Novices´ Hurdle (Registered As The Leamington Hurdle) as Thomas Hobson led all the way, seeing off the challenge of stable companion Open Eagle from the last flight.
Mullins will be without a runner this time, but his compatriot Gordon Elliott, who leads this year’s title race, has entered Runfordave, who had just taken the lead when falling at the penultimate flight at Limerick on Boxing Day.
Geordie Des Champs was chasing his fifth win in a row when going down to TheLigny at Newbury, a feat that the in-form Peregrine Run would be looking to achieve here after an impressive winning run that started at Down Royal back in August.
Despite veering off a straight line in the run-in, O O Seven was a clear-cut winner on his chasing debut at Cheltenham in November, He disappointed when sent off odds-on favourite to follow up at Doncaster last month, but still sets the standard in the Betfred Mobile Hampton Novices´ Chase (Listed Race).
He has an alternative engagement at Huntingdon tomorrow and, in his absence, it could pay to side with Champers On Ice, who has two entries at the Cheltenham Festival and should find the three mile trip right up his street.
Ut Majeur Aulmes looks to be heading back to the winner’s enclosure and could take the Betfred ´January Sale´ Edward Courage Cup Handicap Chase which commemorates one of the most successful owner/trainers of the last century, who sent out the high class Spanish Steps and Royal Relief from his stables on the Edgcote estate in Northamptonshire.
Another intriguing contest is the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Series Qualifier) in which the first eight finishers will be eligible for the final at Cheltenham. Interestingly, only one of the 19 winners took a qualifier en route to the final, so it may pay to make a note of those finishing just behind the leaders.
The meeting gets underway at 12.40pm with the Betfred ´Goals Galore´ Novices´ Handicap Hurdle over two miles and restaurant and hospitality packages are still available, starting at £95+VAT. For further information and advanced tickets, go to www.warwickracecourse.co.uk or call 01926 405 560.
