Ray Burroughs' Racing Column
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New Little Bric can build on success at Cheltenham
The Boylesports International two day meeting gets under way at Cheltenham on Friday with prize money of £698,000 on offer over the two days.
Boylesports is supporting seven races across the two days with the Boylesports.com International taking centre stage on Saturday.
Run over two miles and a furlong, it is the third richest race to be run in Britain and Ireland. Any horse winning the race and the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in the same season will get a bonus payment of a further £200,000.
Also a feature on Saturday is the Boylesports.com Gold Cup, the Relkeel Hurdle and the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle while on Friday the Boylesports Cashback Chase takes centre stage.
The Paul Nicholls-trained New Little Bric, has been made favourite for the Boylesports Gold Cup to give his trainer yet another big Saturday pay day following the exploits of Denman and Twist Magic.
The Somerset trainer said: We just keep trying to run the horses in the right races and I have had this race in mind for New Little Bric for a long time.
The idea was always go to Ascot and then here, he needed the run there and wanted a bit further. He has tightened up for the run and two miles and five furlongs will suit him better. He is a lot sharper now so we are looking forward to Saturday.
The trainer also runs Le Volfonie. He added: He loves it at Cheltenham and the decent ground will suit him and he would have an outside chance.
Abragante from the David Pipe stable, who disappointed in the Hennessy, is second in the ante post market while local trainer Alan King runs Il Duce. Runner up in the Paddy Power earlier in the season, the Barbary Castle runner should run well according to his trainer as long as the ground is decent.
Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson bids for a third success in the race with Copsale Lad who pleased the trainer in a work session at Seven Barrows earlier in the week.
Henderson, who previously won the race with Fondmort and Iris Royal, said his charge will probably wear some form of headgear because he needs to concentrate rather than looking around at the other horses.
Despite a leaning towards the David Pipe trained Abrigante, the column's selection is to follow the money and the trainer in-form - Paul Nicholls with New Little Bric.
The Boylesports Inter-national Hurdle is expected to see the reappearance of last season's Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity, who has been installed as favourite for the Grade Two event.
Irish trainer John Carr was reported as saying that although he is not fully wound up he will acquit himself well.
Fellow Irish contender Macs Joy is expected to go to post with Barry Geraghty in the saddle with trainer Jessica Harrington saying he is in good form.
The race should be another cracking contest with Nicky Henderson's Afsoun the column's selection.
Saturday's Cheltenham card gets under way at at 12.20 with a Novice Hurdle that could well go to the Alan King trained Triumph Hurdle hope Franchoek, who won the race last year with Katchit.
The second race on the card, the Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase, has attracted some useful performers including Lennon, from the Howard Johnson yard, the Alan King trained Howle Hill and Traman-tano from the Nigel Twiston Davies stable.
But Crozan is likely to most appreciate the drop in distance with Howle Hill another danger.
Others to note in a exciting card could be Good Bye Simon in the Relkeel Hurdle, Tidal Bay in the Novices Chase and Marleybow in the last race on the card.
Other scheduled meetings are at Doncaster, Lingfield with all weather flat action at Southwell and Wolverhampton.
10:05am Thursday 13th December 2007
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