Final entries for Cheltenham confirmed

With less than two weeks until the start of The Cheltenham Festival, the final entries have been confirmed with 1,832 horses entered into racing biggest event.

Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliott IRE) captured the £65,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase in 2018, joining a select group of horses to win three different races at The Festival, and last year’s Randox Health Grand National winner heads 28 entries for the three and three-quarter mile contest on Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 13.

Elliott, seeking a hat-trick in the race having saddled Cause Of Causes to glory in 2017, has also entered Don Poli, winner of the G1 RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at The Festival in 2015, and last season’s Randox Health Grand National third Bless The Wings.

A strong Irish-trained contingent also includes the Enda Bolger-trained duo of Auvergnat, winner of the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown in December, and Josies Orders, who has scored four times over Cheltenham’s Cross Country course, including when being awarded the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at The Festival in 2016. Bolger has saddled the winner of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase a record five times.

Both French-trained entries have run well on their previous visits to Cheltenham. Urgent De Gregaine (Emmanuel Clayeux FR) was runner-up to Tiger Roll at The Festival last year, while Amazing Comedy (David Cottin FR) finished a close fourth in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The International in December.

The home challenge could rely on Tea For Two (Jane Williams), a dual G1 winner over fences, Ultragold (Colin Tizzard), who has won the last two renewals of the Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree, and Fact Of The Matter (Jamie Snowden), successful in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The International.

Irish-trained horses have accounted for 19 of the 26 winners of the £75,000 G1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper and another powerful team from across the Irish Sea looks assured, with Irish handlers responsible for 12 of the 28 contenders for this year’s race, which also takes place on Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 13.

Blue Sari (Willie Mullins IRE) stormed to an impressive victory on his only start at Gowran Park on January 24 and the J P McManus-owned son of Saddex could aim to become the fourth four-year-old to triumph following Rhythm Section (1993), Dato Star (1995) and Cue Card (2010). Mullins is bidding for a remarkable 10th success in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Envoi Allen (Gordon Elliott IRE), owned by Cheveley Park Stud, maintained his unbeaten record under rules when beating Meticulous (Joseph O’Brien IRE) in a G2 bumper at Leopardstown on February 2, a race in which stable companion Abacadabras ran out when travelling strongly.

Leading British hopes include Get In The Queue (Harry Fry), a 16-length winner at Exeter on February 22, and Master Debonair (Colin Tizzard), who scored at Cheltenham earlier in the season in the Listed High Sheriff Of Gloucestershire And Racing Remember Bumper at The November Meeting.

Willie Mullins has won all three runnings of the £90,000 G2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Ireland’s champion Jump trainer is responsible for 13 of the 40 entries for the extended two-mile contest on St Patrick’s Thursday, March 14, including G1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle second Sancta Simona.

Unbeaten G3 winner Honeysuckle and Punchestown Listed scorer Sinoria could both line up for Henry de Bromhead, while Posh Trish (Paul Nicholls), twice successful at Listed level this season, and Epatante (Nicky Henderson), an impressive winner at Exeter on February 22, feature among the British-trained contenders.

Pacha Du Polder has won the last two renewals of the £45,000 St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase and the Paul Nicholls-trained 12-year-old could bid for an unprecedented third victory in the race on Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 15.

The 35 entries also feature lightly-raced seven-year-old Stand Up And Fight (Enda Bolger IRE), prolific point-to-point winner Hazel Hill (Philip Rowley), Road To Rome (Joseph O’Shea), who has won all four of his hunter chase starts so far this season, and high-class chaser Ucello Conti (Gordon Elliott IRE).

Total number of entries for The Festival

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle* 98 73 83 64 84 102 94 91 86 104
Racing Post Arkle Chase* 31 28 33 37 45 34 33 27 34 47
Ultima Handicap Chase 105 83 102 107 87 98 95 84 85 88
Unibet Champion Hurdle* 27 23 28 19 23 18 34 27 31 34
OLBG Mares’ Hurdle 30 33 53 45 48 24 36 28 26 31
Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase 85 78 78 68 58 78 86 73 73 90
National Hunt Chase 68 70 71 89 58 69 85 79 76 80
         
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle* 139 98 118 78 110 104 119 118 96 112
RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase* 48 62 55 50 54 54 49 36 51 71
Coral Cup 127 119 130 155 154 136 166 148 134 123
Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase* 22 30 28 23 33 26 17 19 21 24
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 28 21 27 25 28 37 45 41 33 30
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 63 42 54 50 77 75 63 81 85 60
Weatherbys Champion Bumper 28 31 36 32 46 41 51 39 59 38
         
JLT Novices’ Chase* 52 59 66 64 60 53 65 56 65
Pertemps Network Final 70 52 54 55 60 70 94 92 95 85
Ryanair Chase* 29 44 48 48 39 43 39 38 46 43
Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle* 51 38 47 48 36 29 61 34 46 35
Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plt 82 94 100 103 86 83 102 79 81 81
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase 95 77 101 108 88 110 105 104 107 101
Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle 40 30 31 36            
         
JCB Triumph Hurdle* 59 47 55 54 70 65 58 77 77 77
Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 91 88 100 96 120 117 121 109 111 109
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle* 107 83 103 73 97 81 107 95 103 91
Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup* 43 38 39 32 35 36 40 34 34 27
St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase 35 32 39 41 45 34 39 44 53 49
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual 58 65 77 65 62 66 71 49 58 58
Martin Pipe Cond H’cap Hurdle 121 146 164 158 181 168 197 193 164 179
                     
Totals 1832 1684 1920 1823 1884 1851 2072 1895 1930 1867

*number of entries at time of closing

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