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Riders Onthe Storm all set for Cheltenham as weights revealed for Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

Press Release 4th December 2019 Cheltenham

Riders Onthe Storm will look to follow up an impressive first appearance for Nigel Twiston-Davies when he heads to Cheltenham next week for the £130,000 G3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup on Saturday, 14 December.

The six-year-old, third in a G1 novice chase at Limerick last season for his former trainer Tom Taaffe, was purchased on behalf of owners Carl Hinchy and Mark Scott for £50,000 at Doncaster in May. He repaid virtually all of that outlay when taking a valuable handicap chase over two and a half miles at Aintree on 9 November.

Riders Onthe Storm was raised 13lb for his length and three-quarter success and has been allotted 11st 4lb for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup after the weights were revealed today for the extended two and a half-mile handicap chase on day two of The International.

Joint-owner Carl Hinchy said: "Riders Onthe Storm is in good form and the plan is for him to head to Cheltenham.

"It was great to see the form from his victory at Aintree boosted when the third Oldgrangewood won at Newbury last week.

"We expect him to have improved plenty for his first run. Nigel's horses tend to come on from their first outing and, whilst he will have to improve given his rise in the weights, we are hopeful of a big run."

The weights for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup are headed by Kalashnikov (11st 12lb, Amy Murphy), who was beaten a nose by Oldgrangewood when carrying top-weight in a Newbury handicap chase on 29 November.

Last season's G1 Manifesto Novices' Chase winner could bid to emulate subsequent Ryanair Chase hero Frodon, who shouldered top-weight to victory in last season's Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

Happy Diva (11st) gamely took the G3 BetVictor Gold Cup at The November Meeting last month and the Kerry Lee-trained mare could bid to become the fourth horse to follow up with success in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup in the same season following Pegwell Bay (1988), Senor El Betrutti (1997) and Exotic Dancer (2006).

Seven other horses who ran in the BetVictor Gold Cup have also been entered, including the runner-up Brelan D'As (10st 8lb, Paul Nicholls) and third Warthog (9st 11lb, David Pipe) plus eighth home Guitar Pete (10st 6lb, Nicky Richards), winner of the 2017 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

Other contenders include Cepage (11st 6lb, Venetia Williams), who was second to Riders Onthe Storm at Aintree, recent Ascot winner Capeland (11st 4lb, Paul Nicholls) and unexposed novice chaser Not That Fuisse (9st 10lb, Dan Skelton).

The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

G3 handicap chase, £130,000 total prize fund. Saturday, 14 December. Two miles, four and a half furlongs. For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after 1 December, a winner of a chase 5lb. Entries closed 26 November, entries revealed 27 November (38 entries). Weights revealed 4 December. Five-day confirmations 9 December, final declarations 12 December. Maximum field 17 runners plus two reserves.

 

Horse

Age

Wgt

Owner

Trainer

Kalashnikov (IRE)

6

11-12

Paul Murphy

Amy Murphy 

Cepage (FR)

7

11-06

The Bellamy Partnership

Venetia Williams 

O O Seven (IRE)

9

11-05

Christopher Hanbury

Nicky Henderson 

Magic Saint (FR)

5

11-05

John & Barbara Cotton

Paul Nicholls 

Casablanca Mix (FR)

7

11-05

E R Hanbury

Nicky Henderson 

Capeland (FR)

7

11-04

Mrs Kathy Stuart

Paul Nicholls 

Keeper Hill (IRE)

8

11-04

McNeill Family

Warren Greatrex 

Riders Onthe Storm (IRE)

6

11-04

Carl Hinchy and Mark Scott

Nigel Twiston-Davies 

Acapella Bourgeois (FR)

9

11-03

Slaneyville Syndicate

Willie Mullins IRE

Secret Investor

7

11-01

Hills of Ledbury (Aga)

Paul Nicholls 

Happy Diva (IRE)

8

11-00

Will Roseff

Kerry Lee 

The Bay Birch (IRE)

8

11-00

Tony Scrivin

Matt Sheppard 

Lalor (GER)

7

11-00

D G Staddon

Kayley Woollacott 

Benatar (IRE)

7

10-13

Ashley Head

Gary Moore 

Robin des Foret (IRE)

9

10-13

Byerley Racing Syndicate

Willie Mullins IRE

Imperial Presence (IRE)

8

10-11

Sir Christopher & Lady Wates

Philip Hobbs 

Theinval (FR)

9

10-11

Mr & Mrs Sandy Orr

Nicky Henderson 

Spiritofthegames (IRE)

7

10-11

N W Lake

Dan Skelton 

Wenyerreadyfreddie (IRE)

8

10-11

M Landau & J Lightfoot

Nicky Henderson 

Knocknanuss (IRE)

9

10-10

Hail Sargent Evans

Gary Moore 

Kobrouk (FR)

8

10-10

John & Barbara Cotton

Nicky Henderson 

Clondaw Castle (IRE)

7

10-09

J French, D McDermott, S Nelson, T Syder

Tom George 

Highway One O One (IRE)

7

10-08

Anthony Ward-Thomas

Chris Gordon 

Brelan d'As (FR)

8

10-08

J P McManus

Paul Nicholls 

Rather Be (IRE)

8

10-08

Eventmasters Racing

Nicky Henderson 

Guitar Pete (IRE)

9

10-06

Mrs Pat Sloan

Nicky Richards 

Azzerti (FR)

7

10-04

McNeill Family and Prodec Networks Ltd

Alan King 

Good Man Pat (IRE)

6

10-01

David Sewell

Alan King 

Eamon An Cnoic (IRE)

8

10-00

The Angove Family

David Pipe 

Generous Day (IRE)

7

9-13

R G Whitehead

Henry Oliver 

Warthog (FR)

7

9-11

Professor Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew

David Pipe 

Divine Spear (IRE)

8

9-11

Middleham Park Racing LXII

Nicky Henderson 

Didero Vallis (FR)

6

9-11

Lady Bolton

Venetia Williams 

Sky Pirate

6

9-11

Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford

Jonjo O'Neill 

Vaniteux (FR)

10

9-10

C R Leech

Sophie Leech 

Not That Fuisse (FR)

6

9-10

Colm Donlon

Dan Skelton 

Go Long (IRE)

9

9-05

William & Angela Rucker

Evan Williams 

Molineaux (IRE)

8

9-04

John and Heather Snook

Colin Tizzard 

 

38 entries

2 Irish-trained

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