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The Grade Three StanJames.com Greatwood Handicap Hurdle is the highlight of the third and final day of The Open at Cheltenham on Sunday, November 13 and 37 entries have been received for the 2016 renewal of the two-mile contest.
The StanJames.com Greatwood Handicap Hurdle forms part of the "Road To Cheltenham" series which culminates with the Grade One Stan James Champion Hurdle at The Festival in March.
Britain's champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls was on the mark last year with Old Guard and has seven entries this time, including Grade Two scorer Zubayr (12/1 with StanJames.com) and All Set To Go (25/1), who was runner-up in a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock Park in May, as well as last season's Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle victor and runner-up, Diego du Charmil (16/1) and Romain de Senam (16/1).
Philip Hobbs, victorious four times in the StanJames.com Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, has engaged the 2014 scorer Garde La Victoire (14/1) recently successful in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las and also entered in The Open feature, the BetVictor Gold Cup, plus Sternrubin (25/1) winner of a very competitive G3 handicap hurdle at Ascot last season, and the unexposed Ozzie The Oscar (25/1), successful on three of his four starts over hurdles.
One horse already on the mark at Cheltenham this season is Sceau Royal (Alan King, 12/1), impressive at The Showcase on October 22 in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle when he had Leoncavallo (Ben Pauling, 25/1) in second, Adrien Du Pont (Paul Nicholls, 10/1) in fourth and Wolf Of Windlesham (Stuart Edmonds, 50/1) in fifth. King, who trains in Wiltshire, has also made an entry for Winter Escape (10/1) who is unbeaten in three starts including when last seen in a G2 event at Kempton Park in February.
Pauling, who trains near Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, also has eight-year-old course and distance winner A Hare Breath (12/1), successful in two of his six starts over hurdles, engaged.
Other leading trainers with multiple entries include Nicky Henderson, whose trio include Hargam (14/1) third in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival in 2015 and a Listed winner on his reappearance at Kempton Park on October 16,the Grade One-placed Brain Power (12/1) and Consul de Thaix (25/1).
Dan Skelton's quartet of entries are Mister Miyagi (12/1), North Hill Harvey (25/1) and Meet The Legend (20/1) who were all very useful novices last season, and Ch'tibello (16/1) who enjoyed his finest hour when successful in the G2 Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr in April.
There are five Irish-trained entries, including last year's third Waxies Dargle (Noel Meade, 14/1), Jack The Wire (Denis Hogan, 33/1), successful in a competitive contest at Listowel last month, Mick Jazz (Gordon Elliott, 14/1), who has not been seen since being pulled up when favourite for this race in 2015, and the useful St Stephens Green (Emmet Mullins, 33/1).
Four-year-old Swamp Fox (Joe Murphy, 50/1) has been an absolute star for connections throughout 2016. Success in a valuable two-mile handicap at Listowel in September was one of his two victories this year, while he also boasts a very good level of form on the Flat, landing a valuable contest over two miles and a furlong at the Galway Festival in July and finishing third in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh on October 9.
County Tipperary-based Murphy commented: "It will depend on the going and how he is, but we have entered Swamp Fox in the StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle to give us the option.
"He has won on different types of ground but I would say at this stage he is better with some cut.
"He is still only a four-year-old and the plan is to run him next in November Handicap on the Flat at Leopardstown on Saturday. We will see how he gets on there and then decide where we will go next.
"I think Swamp Fox is a very promising horse. He has done well to win four competitive races as a four-year-old. His wins at Galway and Listowel came against some good opposition and then it was a good run to come third in the Cesarewitch."
There could also be a French-trained challenger through four-year-old filly Isabe (Christophe Ferland, 33/1), a dual Listed winner over hurdles in France.
Brett Williams, Stan James PR spokesperson, commented: "Stan James is delighted to sponsor the StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle for the fourth consecutive season and this year's contest will, as usual, play an integral role in our Road To Cheltenham series of seven races that culminates with the Stan James Champion Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.
"The StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle always attracts a quality line-up and boasts a stellar roll of honour with the likes of Celtic Shot, Rooster Booster, who went on to win the Stan James Champion Hurdle, and Sizing Europe among many to have claimed the £100,000 contest.
"This year's race sees 2014 winner Garde La Victoire among the entries as well as the unbeaten Winter Escape who is currently joint favourite at 10/1 and our jumps ambassador Nicky Henderson has entered three including Hargam and Brain Power.
"From 10am on the day of the race, StanJames.com will be top price all runners."
StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle - StanJames.com odds (place terms: 1/4 the first 4)
10 Winter Escape, 10 Adrien Du Pont, 12 A Hare Breath, 12 Zubayr, 12 Mister Miyagi, 12 Sceau Royal, 12 Brain Power, 14 Waxies Dargle, 14 Garde La Victoire, 14 Mick Jazz, 14 Hargam, 16 Romain De Senam, 16 Ch'Tibello, 16 Diego Du Charmil, 16 Affaire D'Honneur, 20 Meet The Legend, 20 Modus, 25 Tommy Silver, 25 Leoncavallo, 25 All Set To Go, 25 North Hill Harvey, 25 Sternrubin, 25 Ozzie The Oscar, 25 Consul De Thaix, 25 Cyrius Moriviere, 33 St Stephens Green, 33 Mad Jack Mytton, 33 Isabe, 33 John Constable, 33 Jack The Wire, 40 Rossetti, 40 Thunder Sheik, 50 Wolf Of Windlesham, 50 Swamp Fox, 50 Minellaforleisure, 50 Song Light, 50 Gassin Golf.
Weights for the StanJames.com Greatwood Handicap Hurdle will be revealed on Wednesday.