Wednesday, December 5, 2018 – Frodon heads the weights on 11st 12lb for the £130,000 G3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup (1.55pm, 37 entries), run over an extended two and a half miles on day two of The International at Cheltenham, Saturday, December 15.

Frodon (Paul Nicholls), who landed this race as a four-year-old in 2016, ran a gallant race under top-weight on his latest start when going down by two lengths to Baron Alco (Gary Moore, 11st) in the G3 BetVictor Gold Cup at The November Meeting on November 17.

Baron Alco has been raised 6lb to a rating of 152 and could become the fourth horse to win both the BetVictor Gold Cup and Caspian Caviar Gold Cup in the same season, after Pegwell Bay (1988), Senor El Betrutti (1997) and Exotic Dancer (2006).

Baron Alco’s trainer Gary Moore is also responsible for G1 JLT Novices’ Chase third Benatar (10st 11lb), who finished fourth in the G2 Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot on November 24, and three-time chase scorer Casse Tete (10st).

West Sussex-based Moore said: “I have been very pleased with Baron Alco since the BetVictor Gold Cup and the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup is his big target now.

“He is 6lb higher in the handicap and whether or not he can cope with that will depend on what else turns up on the day. If it is a similar sort of race to the BetVictor Gold Cup, I don’t think 6lb would stop him.

“Having said that, I am well aware the way he ridden last time was an advantage because he was kept out of trouble in what was an incident-packed race, and there was probably a couple of hard luck stories in behind.

“The ground all comes the same to him. He is in amazing horse with a great attitude and he will go on anything bar extremes.

“Benatar is still under consideration for Caspian Caviar Gold Cup after his run at Ascot, but I am 99 per cent sure that Casse Tette won’t run.”

Guitar Pete (Nicky Richards, 9st 13lb), who stayed on to take third behind Baron Alco last month, gained his biggest success over fences so far when taking the 2017 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup by two and a three-quarter lengths.

Guitar Pete and Frodon have the chance to emulate Poquelin, who is the only multiple winner of the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup thanks to back-to-back victories in 2009 and 2010.

Frodon’s trainer Paul Nicholls has seven entries in total, the most of any handler. They also include G3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase victor Le Prezien (11st 2lb) and G1-winning chaser San Benedeto (10st 12lb).

Rather Be (Nicky Henderson, 10st 11lb) and the mare Happy Diva (Kerry Lee, 10st 2lb) both contested the BetVictor Gold Cup and were travelling well when being brought down four fences from home.

Venetia Williams has three entries to choose from, headed by 2017 G1 Ryanair Chase third Aso (11st 6lb) who was back in the winner’s enclosure on November 30 when annexing a handicap chase at Newbury.

Other in-form entries include War Sound (Philip Hobbs, 10st 8lb) and Mr Medic (Robert Walford, 10st 5lb), the respective winners of competitive handicap chases at Aintree and Ascot recently, plus impressive Wetherby victor Catamaran Du Seuil (Dr Richard Newland, 10st 4lb).

The five-day confirmation stage for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup is at noon on Monday, December 10.

Day two of The International also features the £140,000 G2 Unibet International Hurdle, a leading trial for the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle at The Festival™ presented by Magners in March.

Last year's race saw three-time G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle runner-up My Tent Or Yours edge out The New One and Melon in a pulsating finish, and the winner is due to return for another crack at the G2 contest next month.

Other highlights of The International, which gets underway on Friday, December 14, include the final leg of the Crystal Cup ( https://crystalcup.org ), a pan-European series comprising 10 cross country races, with the running of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase, the £60,000 G3 December Handicap Chase and the £32,000 G2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

G3 handicap chase, £130,000 total prize fund. Saturday, December 15. Two miles, four and a half furlongs. For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after December 2, a winner of a chase 5lb. Entries closed November 27, entries revealed November 28 (37 entries). Weights revealed December 5. Five-day confirmations December 10, final declarations December 13. Maximum field 17 runners plus two reserves.

Horse	Age	Wgt	Owner	Trainer
FRODON (FR)	6	11-12	P J Vogt	Paul Nicholls
ASO (FR)	8	11-06	The Bellamy Partnership	Venetia Williams
LE PREZIEN (FR)	7	11-02	J P McManus	Paul Nicholls
GOLD PRESENT (IRE)	8	11-00	John & Barbara Cotton	Nicky Henderson
BARON ALCO (FR)	7	11-00	John Stone	Gary Moore
WILLOUGHBY COURT (IRE)	7	10-13	Paul & Clare Rooney	Ben Pauling
FOREST BIHAN (FR)	7	10-12	Phil & Julie Martin	Brian Ellison
MODUS (GB)	8	10-12	J P McManus	Paul Nicholls
BEGGAR'S WISHES (IRE)	7	10-12	Roddy Owen & Paul Fullagar	Peter Bowen
SAN BENEDETO (FR)	7	10-12	P J Vogt	Paul Nicholls
BENATAR (IRE)	6	10-11	Ashley Head	Gary Moore
RATHER BE (IRE)	7	10-11	Matt & Lauren Morgan	Nicky Henderson
TOP GAMBLE (IRE)	10	10-08	Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter	Kerry Lee
WAR SOUND (GB)	9	10-08	The Englands and Heywoods	Philip Hobbs
COBRA DE MAI (FR)	6	10-05	Norman Lake & Susan Carsberg	Dan Skelton
MR MEDIC (GB)	7	10-05	The White Hart Company	Robert Walford
CEPAGE (FR)	6	10-05	The Bellamy Partnership	Venetia Williams
CASABLANCA MIX (FR)	6	10-05	E R Hanbury	Nicky Henderson
FULL GLASS (FR)	5	10-04	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Alan King
CATAMARAN DU SEUIL (FR)	6	10-04	Michael P Tudor	Dr Richard Newland
DIVINE SPEAR (IRE)	7	10-03	Middleham Park Racing LXII	Nicky Henderson
BARNEY DWAN (IRE)	8	10-03	Paul & Clare Rooney	Fergal O'Brien
MERCIAN PRINCE (IRE)	7	10-03	Paul Murphy	Amy Murphy
HAPPY DIVA (IRE)	7	10-02	Will Roseff	Kerry Lee
MOVEWITHTHETIMES (IRE)	7	10-02	J P McManus	Paul Nicholls
GARDEFORT (FR)	9	10-02	Kate & Andrew Brooks	Venetia Williams
HENRYVILLE (GB)	10	10-02	Roddy Owen & Paul Fullagar	Peter Bowen
SPLASH OF GINGE (GB)	10	10-01	J D Neild	Nigel Twiston-Davies
CASSE TETE (FR)	6	10-00	John Stone	Gary Moore
DEAUVILLE DANCER (IRE)	7	9-13	Favourites Racing (Syndication) Ltd 10	David Dennis
ROMAIN DE SENAM (FR)	6	9-13	Chris Giles & Dan Macdonald	Paul Nicholls
FOXTAIL HILL (IRE)	9	9-13	Options O Syndicate	Nigel Twiston-Davies
GUITAR PETE (IRE)	8	9-13	Pat Sloan	Nicky Richards
MAGIC SAINT (FR)	4	9-12	John & Barbara Cotton	Paul Nicholls
MARIENSTAR (IRE)	7	9-09	Kevin Taylor & Garry Ambrose	Neil King
EAMON AN CNOIC (IRE)	7	9-09	The Angove Family	David Pipe
THEATRE TERRITORY (IRE)	8	9-08	Robert Waley-Cohen	Warren Greatrex

 

37 entries

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