Butterfly heads top Irish entry
Irish aspirants include Like-A-Butterfly, winner of last season’s Gerrard Wealth Management Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, Adamant Approach, who was travelling ominously well when falling in the same race last year, and his stablemate Davenport Milenium, a good third in the Christmas Hurdle after a long lay off.
Vying for favouritism in the ante-post betting, for which the entries were revealed today, are the hugely-improved pair Intersky Falcon, winner of the Fighting Fifth and Pertemps Christmas Hurdles, and Rooster Booster, who landed the Victor Chandler Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham in December.
Marble Arch, last year’s runner-up, could do battle with reigning champion Hors La Loi III again. Martin Pipe’s six entries include Coral Eurobet Cup and Aintree Hurdle winner Ilnamar and the high-class German Flat performer Iberus, who has yet to make his hurdling debut for owner David Johnson.
French-based Francois Doumen has entered Laveron and Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s Never, while leading German handler Mario Hofer is responsible for San Suru and Siberius.
There are several less-exposed entries including Flame Creek, a winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day for trainer Noel Chance, the Tom George-trained Kombinacja, a mare who won the Triple Crown in Poland on the Flat but has yet to jump a hurdle in public, and Josh Gifford’s exciting novice Kopeck.
As well as Intersky Falcon, Jonjo O’Neill has entered last season’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper runner-up Rhinestone Cowboy, unbeaten in two races over hurdles this season and backed at long odds for the Champion.
Other interesting entries are Xtra, a useful Flat performer who was bought to join Jim Old at a cost of 120,000gns out of Luca Cumani’s stable in October, and James Given’s 2001 Cambridgeshire winner I Cried For You.
Meanwhile, Baracouda and Bacchanal, the last two winners of the Bonusprint Stayers’ Hurdle are among 33 entries for this year’s £140,000 event at Cheltenham on March 13.
The Francois Doumen-trained Baracouda proved a neck too strong for Bannow Bay in the championship contest over three miles and the Irish-trained runner-up is set to renew rivalry.
Despite finishing third to last year’s Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate in the Pertemps King George VI Chase on his last outing over Christmas, Bacchanal is likely to try and bid to repeat his 2000 success in this race.
Limestone Lad, beaten a length in second place by Bacchanal that day, heads six Irish entries.
The James Bowe-trained 11-year-old has won 35 races, including five this season, having missed last year’s race through injury.
Other talented staying hurdlers entered include the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Coolnagorna, easy winner of the Stan James Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury last month and Stromness, who took the Unicoin New Homes Spa Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Eve.
Cashmans Champion Hurdle betting: 6/1 Rooster Booster, Intersky Falcon, 8/1 Davenport Millennium, 10/1 Rhinestone Cowboy, 12/1 Hors Le Loi, 14/1 Like a Butterfly.
Stayers Hurdle - 5/2 Baracouda, 7/2 Limestone Lad, 5/1 Bacchanal, 11/1 Gallileo, 12/1 Ilnamar.
