3 minute read
Shantou Village is likely to be one of the stars on show at Cheltenham on day two of The Showcase.
The six-year-old headlines 14 entries for the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Chase (4.40pm) over just short of two and a half miles and also has the option of the three-mile Ryman Stationery Cheltenham Business Club Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on Friday, day one.
Shantou Village created a good impression over hurdles last season, most notably when defeating Champers On Ice by 15 lengths in the G2 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham during The Open in November.
He was pulled up after being struck into at The Festival in March, but returned none the worse with an easy debut success over fences in a two mile, five-furlong novices' chase at Fontwell on August 25.
His trainer Neil Mulholland, who is based near Bath, said today: "All being well, Shantou Village will run at Cheltenham. He has got two entries across the meeting so we will go through both races and make a decision later in the week.
"I was really pleased with his reappearance at Fontwell and, bar the last, he jumped well. He was just a bit fresh coming down to it as he could have gone round again.
"We had initially planned to go back to Fontwell for another novices' chase at the end of September but we weren't 100 per cent happy with him. He just wasn't sparking so we decided to wait."
Philip Hobbs has entered talented hurdlers Brother Tedd and Duke Des Champs, while unbeaten chaser Frodon heads three entries for champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls who has won three of the last six renewals.
Cheltenham's seven-race programme on Saturday starts at 1.50pm with the first of two £50,000 chases sponsored by Randox Health, the Randox Handicap Chase over three miles and a furlong.
The 28 entries are topped by G1 scorer Holywell (Jonjo O'Neill), whose excellent course record includes two wins at The Festival and a fourth behind Coneygree in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup. bet365 Gold Cup hero The Young Master (Neil Mulholland) is also engaged along with unexposed seven-year-old Vivaldi Collonges (Paul Nicholls) and Munster National runner-up Stellar Notion (Henry de Bromhead IRE).
Irish raider Devils Bride (Henry de Bromhead IRE) could drop back to two miles for the £50,000 Randox Health Handicap Chase (3.30pm, 23 entries) after finishing third in the G2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park on October 1. The possible runners also include last year's winner Boondooma (Dr Richard Newland), Savello (Dan Skelton) and course scorer Fox Norton (Neil Mulholland).
El Bandit (Paul Nicholls), a gutsy winner of the G2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow recently, could step up to three miles for the first time in the Richard Allen, Waters & The Brittons Novices' Hurdle (2.25pm). Potential opponents include easy Warwick victor Wholestone (Nigel Twiston-Davies) and English point-to-point graduate Wotzizname (Harry Fry), who is unbeaten in two starts under Rules.
The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (4.05pm, 32 entries) is the first in a series of qualifiers for the Pertemps Network Final at The Festival in March. Entries include Call The Cops (Nicky Henderson), winner of the final in 2015, Fingal Bay (Philip Hobbs) and recent Munster National victor Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliott IRE).
Exciting youngsters Brahms De Clermont (Paul Nicholls) and River Wylde (Nicky Henderson) feature among 30 entries for the concluding White Christmas Parties At Cheltenham Standard Open Bumper at 5.15pm.
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