Knowhere Bound for
Paddy Power Gold Cup

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Paddy Power Make Don't Push It Favourite for The Paddy Power Gold Cup as Entries Revealed
02/11/07

The 120,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, run over two miles, four and a half furlongs at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 17 - the second day of The Open - has attracted a fantastic 62-strong entry, seven more than in 2006.

2006 winner Exotic Dancer
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Paddy Power, spokesman for the company of the same name, commented: “Having recently renewed our relationship with this great meeting a year ahead of schedule and boosted our contribution to The Open, I am delighted with the great entries for the Paddy Power Gold Cup. As always, the race looks like being the highlight of the first part of the season.”

The clear favourite for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at 6/1 with the sponsors, who opened betting today with the release of the entries, is Don’t Push It, trained near to Cheltenham by Jonjo O’Neill whose Exotic Dancer won the Grade Three race last year and developed into the second best chaser in Britain and Ireland.

Seven-year-old Don’t Push It, winner of the Listed sportingindex.com/racing Silver Trophy at Chepstow on October 27, had every chance when falling two out in the Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy won by My Way De Solzen at The Festival in March.

O’Neill could also run Listed Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase runner-up Bob Hall (10/1), Grade Three Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase second Hasty Prince (25/1), French import Newman Des Plages (20/1) and the consistent Fier Normand (25/1).

The Ian Williams-trained Bambi De L’Orme is an interesting contender. The eight-year-old grey, runner-up in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup at the 2005 Festival, finished a close fourth on his seasonal bow behind Hoo La Baloo at Kempton on October 21, and steps up to an extended two and a half miles for the first time.

Williams revealed today: “The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the target for Bambi De L’Orme. I was delighted with his run at Kempton the other day. He is not a horse who goes well right-handed so it was a nice comeback race.

“Dominic (Elsworth) has always been very keen to step the horse up in trip and we are hoping that now he has reached his all-time high handicap mark, some improvement might be found by going that little bit further.

“He was second in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase and has always run good races at Cheltenham so if we continue to have a dry autumn then it would suit us all round.”

Bambi De L’Orme ended the 2006/2007 campaign with a flourish, winning the Grade Three John Smith’s Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree on April 12, and the Albert Bartlett & Sons Handicap Chase at Ayr nine days later, both over two miles.

Williams said: “He finished on a real high last season. His performance at Aintree was very good and he went to Ayr and ran a great race as well. You cannot take anything away from his first run at Kempton this season on a track that wouldn’t suit him off his mark.

“He has been a fantastic servant to us and he has been one of those horses that has been unfortunate on occasions through no fault of his own - we are lucky to have him.”

Bambi De L’Orme is currently a 25/1 chance with sponsors Paddy Power.

David Pipe, whose father Martin Pipe is the winning-most trainer in the history of the Paddy Power Gold Cup with eight successes, has entered five horses including last year’s runner-up Vodka Bleu (14/1).

The Pond House team also includes Madison Du Berlais (16/1), winner of the Grade Three VC Casino.com Gold Cup at Newbury in March, Pablo Du Charmil (20/1), Whispered Secret (16/1) and Abragante (14/1).

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is yet to taste Paddy Power Gold Cup success and he has engaged a classy quintet headed by Taranis (12/1), who was well in contention under top-weight in last season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup, only to fall two fences from home.

The six-year-old bounced back with a thrilling neck triumph over Our Vic in the Grade Two Ryanair Chase at The Festival in March.

Nicholls has also entered Grade One totesport.com Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase victor New Little Bric (14/1), Grade Two winner Turko (12/1), Grade One Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Granit Jack (12/1) and Le Volfoni (25/1).

L’Antartique (12/1) captured the Listed Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs at The Festival in March and is one of four Ferdy Murphy-trained entries along with last season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup third New Alco (20/1), Grade One Swordlestown Cup hero Another Promise (12/1) and the progressive Three Mirrors (33/1).

Nigel Twiston-Davies won the 1992 Paddy Power Gold Cup with Tipping Tim and the Gloucestershire handler has entered Knowhere (10/1), who had Bob Hall in third when successful over the course and distance in the Pyments Quantity Surveyors Handicap Chase on October 20, as well as Ardaghey (25/1), who took the Showcase Handicap Chase over an extended three miles at Cheltenham the previous day and novice chaser Patman Du Charmil (20/1), the year younger half-brother to Pablo Du Charmil.

Billyvoddan (20/1) was a close third to Taranis in the Ryanair Chase in March and is one of two entries for trainer Henry Daly, the other being Palarshan (20/1), who was runner-up to the Venetia Williams-trained Idole First (16/1) in the Grade Three Racing Post Plate at The Festival.

Keith Reveley may saddle Grade One Stan James Feltham Novices’ Chase winner Ungaro (16/1), and Donald McCain has entered Regal Heights (33/1), while Nicky Richards could run Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy fourth Faasel (16/1).

Philip Hobbs has engaged Irish Independent Arkle runner-up Fair Along (10/1), who was last seen taking third in the Cesarewitch on the Flat at Newmarket on October 20, Private Be (12/1) and Yaboya (33/1).

Nicky Henderson was successful with Fondmort in the 2003 Paddy Power Gold Cup and could saddle Crozan (14/1) and Copsale Lad (14/1), while Carl Llewellyn, victorious as a jockey aboard Tipping Tim, has entered Too Forward (16/1) and Limited Edition (16/1).

The impressive entry includes 10 horses from Ireland, headed by 2006 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup third Forget The Past (25/1), trained by Michael O’Brien.

Noel Meade could saddle last season’s Grade Two Red Mills Chase victor Watson Lake (16/1), Ballyagran (50/1) and Father Matt (25/1), while Michael Hourigan has entered one-time high-class novice Arteea (50/1) and Jessica Harrington may run Knight Legend (20/1), winner of a Grade Three chase over two and three-quarter miles at Punchestown on October 17.

The Irish contingent also includes Royal Country Star (16/1) and The Roney Man (66/1) from Tony Martin’s County Meath yard, the Paul Nolan-trained French Accordion (20/1), who landed a hat-trick in a Grade Three novice chase at Tipperary on October 7, and the Eric McNamara-trained Guinness Kerry National hero Ponmeoath (25/1).

The French entry is the Francois Doumen-trained L’Ami (25/1), fourth in the 2006 totesport Gold Cup at The Festival and seventh in the same race in March.

Other interesting contenders include the Michael Scudamore-trained Grade Three Red Square Vodka Gold Cup winner Heltornic (33/1) and the Sue Smith-trained Mister McGoldrick (33/1).

The weights for the first major handicap chase of the season will be issued on Wednesday, November 7. The Paddy Power Gold Cup is race six in the British Horseracing Authority’s Order of Merit Series.

Paddy Power’s full list of odds for the Paddy Power Gold Cup:-

Don't Push It 6/1
Bob Hall 10/1
Fair Along 10/1
Knowhere 10/1
Another Promise 12/1
Granit Jack 12/1
L'Antartique 12/1
Private Be 12/1
Taranis 12/1
Turko 12/1
Abragante 14/1
Copsale Lad 14/1
Crozan 14/1
New Little Bric 14/1
Vodka Bleu 14/1
Faasel 16/1
Idole First 16/1
Limited Edition 16/1
Madison Du Berlais 16/1
Maljimar 16/1
Royal County Star 16/1
Too Forward 16/1
Ungaro 16/1
Watson Lake 16/1
Whispered Secret 16/1
Billyvoddan 20/1
French Accordion 20/1
Kings Brook 20/1
Knight Legend 20/1
New Alco 20/1
Newman Des Plages 20/1
Pablo Du Charmil 20/1
Palarshan 20/1
Patman Du Charmil 20/1
Ardaghey 25/1
Bambi De L'Orme 25/1
Bishop's Bridge 25/1
Father Matt 25/1
Fier Normand 25/1
Forget The Past 25/1
Hasty Prince 25/1
L'Ami 25/1
Le Volfoni 25/1
Lord Ryeford 25/1
Ponmeoath 25/1
Roman Ark 25/1
Black Hills 33/1
Donovan 33/1
Heltornic 33/1
Il Duce 33/1
Magic Sky 33/1
Mister McGoldrick 33/1
Mr Boo 33/1
Regal Heights 33/1
Three Mirrors 33/1
Yaboya 33/1
Bible Lord 40/1
Arteea 50/1
Ballyagran 50/1
Big Rob 50/1
The Reverend 50/1
The Roney Man 66/1

THE PADDY POWER GOLD CUP

Class 1, Grade 3, 120,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.40pm, Cheltenham, Saturday, November 17, 2007. For 4yo+, two miles, four and a half furlongs. Penalties, after November 3, a winner of a Class 3 chase 3lb; of a Class 1 or 2 chase 6lb; no penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 31; entries released November 1 (62 entries). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including Tuesday, October 30, 2007. May not include some overseas form.
Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
12341-1 ABRAGANTE (IRE) 6 David Johnson David Pipe
F21151- ANOTHER PROMISE (IRE) 8 Geoff Hubbard Racing Ferdy Murphy
1P062-1 ARDAGHEY (IRE) 8 D & S Goodman Nigel Twiston-Davies
41206/3- ARTEEA (IRE) 8 M O'Flaherty Michael Hourigan IRE
114-230 BALLYAGRAN (IRE) 7 Kevin O'Sullivan Noel Meade IRE
30511-4 BAMBI DE L'ORME (FR) 8 Mr & Mrs John Poynton Ian Williams
60211- BIBLE LORD (IRE) 6 M Tedham Andy Turnell
4-P6032 BIG ROB (IRE) 8 P Betts Brendan Powell
0U/513P- BILLYVODDAN (IRE) 8 Trevor Hemmings Henry Daly
11122-5 BISHOP'S BRIDGE (IRE) 9 S Kimber Emma Lavelle
12221-0 BLACK HILLS 8 The Kingfisher Partnership Jonathan Geake
31522-3 BOB HALL (IRE) 6 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
3/PP105- COPSALE LAD 10 Swallow Partnership Nicky Henderson
PP/2PF4- CROZAN (FR) 7 Trevor Hemmings Nicky Henderson
211F5-1 DON'T PUSH IT (IRE) 7 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
611112 DONOVAN (NZ) 8 George Hibbert & Jayne Greenwood Richard Guest
551422- FAASEL (IRE) 6 Jim Ennis Nicky Richards
111202- FAIR ALONG (GER) 5 Alan Peterson Philip Hobbs
12122U/- FATHER MATT (IRE) 9 Mrs A O'Brien Noel Meade IRE
16/1-3F2 FIER NORMAND (FR) 8 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
114030- FORGET THE PAST 9 Sean Mulryan Michael O'Brien IRE
0-60111 FRENCH ACCORDION (IRE) 7 Padraig Brady Paul Nolan IRE
11/3212- GRANIT JACK (FR) 5 John Hales Paul Nicholls
525220- HASTY PRINCE 9 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
32011F- HELTORNIC (IRE) 7 Stephen Molloy Michael Scudamore
06/1341- IDOLE FIRST (IRE) 8 D and J Racing Ltd Venetia Williams
1PF23-1 IL DUCE (IRE) 7 Mrs Peter Prowting Alan King
06-P101 KINGS BROOK 7 Tony Gale Nick Williams
02-1021 KNIGHT LEGEND (IRE) 8 Lynn Wilson Jessica Harrington IRE
2300U-1 KNOWHERE (IRE) 9 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies
534200- L'AMI (FR) 8 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR
21F21U- L'ANTARTIQUE (FR) 7 Mary Durkan Ferdy Murphy
3646-U5 LE VOLFONI (FR) 6 A Banks P Nicholls
14//P11F- LIMITED EDITION (IRE) 9 Malcolm Denmark Carl Llewellyn
P4-1114 LORD RYEFORD (IRE) 7 Five Valleys Racing Partnership Tom George
153103- MADISON DU BERLAIS (FR) 6 Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds II David Pipe
1335-00 MAGIC SKY (FR) 7 thehorseracingclub.com partnership Milton Harris
F2313-2 MALJIMAR (IRE) 7 Jane Williams Nick Williams
44600-0 MISTER MCGOLDRICK 10 Richard Longley Sue Smith
20P22-1 MR BOO (IRE) 8 The Hon Mrs C Cameron Gary Moore
232260- NEW ALCO (FR) 6 D McGowan And S Murphy Ferdy Murphy
1/13110- NEW LITTLE BRIC (FR) 6 Kathy Stuart Paul Nicholls
1/114P0- NEWMAN DES PLAGES (FR) 6 Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O'Neill
U0/1110- PABLO DU CHARMIL (FR) 6 Joe Moran David Pipe
5036P//2- PALARSHAN (FR) 9 Sumner Wellesley Henry Daly
1PP-113 PATMAN DU CHARMIL (FR) 5 Raymond Mould Nigel Twiston-Davies
450-614 PONMEOATH (IRE) 7 Jolly Up Syndicate Eric McNamara IRE
20131-B PRIVATE BE 8 David and Daphne Walsh Philip Hobbs
212114- REGAL HEIGHTS (IRE) 6 Janet Heler Donald McCain Jnr
311400- ROMAN ARK 9 Richard Collins Malcolm Jefferson
00211-U ROYAL COUNTY STAR (IRE) 8 Dunsany Racing Syndicate Tony Martin IRE
1F3112- TARANIS (FR) 6 Mrs A Yeoman & C Whittaker Paul Nicholls
213240- THE REVEREND (IRE) 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson
000164- THE RONEY MAN 7 Mrs M Ross Tony Martin IRE
221131- THREE MIRRORS 7 Sean Murphy Ferdy Murphy
2/10102- TOO FORWARD (IRE) 11 T Gibson & D Mathias Carl Llewellyn
11210P- TURKO (FR) 5 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
5/11166- UNGARO (FR) 8 Sir Robert Ogden Keith Reveley
2P0400- VODKA BLEU (FR) 8 David Johnson David Pipe
441P40- WATSON LAKE (IRE) 9 John Corr Noel Meade IRE
504312- WHISPERED SECRET (GER) 8 David Manasseh David Pipe
213/1FP- YABOYA (IRE) 8 JP McManus Philip Hobbs

62 Entries
10 Irish-trained
1 French-trained