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Festival Trials Day takes place at Cheltenham tomorrow, Saturday, January 28, and offers the final opportunity to witness top-quality action at the home of Jump racing before The Festival in March.
The richest race on Festival Trials Day is the £100,000 Argento Chase (2.35pm). Run over an extended three miles and a furlong, the Argento Chase is a key pointer to Festival glory and subsequent Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Little Owl (1981), Master Oats (1995), See More Business (1999) and Looks Like Trouble (2000) have all used this as a springboard to success in Jump racing's Blue Riband event.
Nine horses go to post in this year's renewal of the Argento Chase, including last year's Racing Post Arkle Chase victor Captain Chris and the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup scorer Diamond Harry. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls, the most successful current handler in the race with four victories, is represented this time around by last year's runner-up Tidal Bay, while course specialist Midnight Chase, who won three competitive handicap chases at Cheltenham last season prior to finishing an excellent fifth in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup, lines up for Neil Mulholland. Paul Webber sends out Time For Rupert, who disappointed when starting favourite for the RSA Chase at The Festival in 2011 but got back on track with a victory at Newbury last month, while the 2010 Paddy Power Gold Cup hero, Little Josh, returns to action after a year-long absence for local handler Nigel Twiston-Davies. Any Currency, Knockara Beau and The Sawyer complete the field.
Bowntobebad, a comfortable winner of a novices' hurdle at Huntingdon in October, was last seen finishing a disappointing fifth at Ascot in mid-November, but his trainer Jeremy Scott confirmed he will take his chance in the £25,000 Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (3.10pm), which takes place over an extended two and a half miles.
Scott, based in Brompton Regis in Somerset, said: “Unfortunately, he bled last time he ran, so he didn't show his true form at Ascot, but we are hopeful he will bounce back.
“He looked promising at Huntingdon and works like a very good horse, so we thought we might as well go for a big pot.
“Generally the ground is better at Cheltenham, which is why we are going there instead of Doncaster because the going was a bit softer there. I think he will cope with the ground OK, but it is probably not 100 per cent in his favour.
“Tomorrow will tell us where we will be going in the spring.”
Nicky Henderson will be hoping Broadbackbob can bring up a hat-trick, just as Bobs Worth did in this race 12 months ago, after two impressive victories at Ascot and Newbury. Knight Pass also bids for his third success over hurdles after winning a novices' contest at Exeter and a competitive handicap at Kempton last time, while Polisky is looking to get his season back on track after a disappointing effort behind Broadbackbob at Newbury. Alan King runs course and distance runner-up Batonnier and the progressive juvenile Secret Edge, who receives weight all round. Forgotten Gold won in good fashion at Ludlow prior to finishing third behind Barbatos over the course and distance on New Year's Day. Local trainer Martin Keighley is represented by Hard To Swallow, who was also behind Barbatos last time, while John Quinn runs Hawk Mountain, an easy winner at Sedgefield before finishing second at Market Rasen. The field is completed by Low Gales and David Pipe's Catch Tammy.
Big Buck's created history last season when becoming the first horse to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle for three consecutive years. The remarkable nine-year-old, who has won 14 consecutive races, also landed the 2009 Rewards4Racing Cleeve Hurdle (3.40pm) and heads the half-dozen declarations for this year's renewal of the Grade Two contest, which takes place over three miles. His five opponents in the £50,000 race this time around include his stable companion Five Dream, who has chased home Big Buck's on his last two starts, as well as Irish raider Mourad, who finished third in last season's Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Restless Harry, Dynaste and Across The Bay also line up.
Festival Trials Day gets underway with a cracking renewal of the £25,000 Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial (12.55pm). Six juveniles have been declared for the two mile, one furlong contest including the Tom George-trained Baby Mix and Alan King's Grumeti, who are currently vying for favouritism for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival. Donald McCain runs Hollow Tree, winner of the Grade One Finale Hurdle at Chepstow on December 27, while Paul Nicholls' stable is represented by Pearl Swan, an impressive winner on his hurdling debut at Taunton on January 19.
There are also three competitive handicaps to look forward to tomorrow, with the £25,000 Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase (1.30pm, 16 runners), the £40,000 Grade Three Murphy Group Handicap Chase (2.05pm, 10 runners) and the concluding £21,000 Stellar Football 'End Of Transfer Window' Handicap Hurdle (4.15pm, 14 runners).
