Ladbrokes World Hurdle Tips

Day Three, Ladbrokes World Hurdle | Paul Berry | January 21, 2010 at 3:18 pm

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After storming to victory in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle, defending champion Big Buck’s heads a superb entry of 35 for this year’s contest, highlight of the third day of The Festival on Thursday, March 18.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old is unbeaten in all six of his starts over hurdles in Britain, and he warmed up for this year’s Festival with a comfortable victory in the re-arranged Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury on December 29.

Karabak stayed on to take second in that race and the seven-year-old may bid for an elusive first bigrace victory, having also been the runner-up to Mikael D’Haguenet at last year’s Festival and chased home Zaynar in the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle in November. Trainer Alan King may also be represented by the 2008 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle winner Katchit, who was fourth behind Zaynar at Ascot prior to taking the runner-up spot behind Sentry Duty in the Freedom Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Last year’s runner-up and current RSA Chase ante-post favourite Punchestowns has been given an entry by trainer Nicky Henderson. The seven-year-old has made an impressive start to his chasing career, scoring in a Newbury Grade Two novice chase in November. Diamond Harry is also being aimed at the Festival’s top novice chases by trainer Nick Williams after taking third behind Mikael D’Haguenet and Karabak at Cheltenham last year and easily winning a Listed handicap hurdle under top weight at Haydock in November.

Mighty Man, who has been placed in two Ladbrokes World Hurdles and landed the 2006 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, also has a choice of targets at this year’s Festival. Trainer Henry Daly is considering his options after the 10-year-old scored comfortably on his chase debut at Hereford in December.

Lie Forrit has risen through the handicap ranks this season, winning the Listed Jardine Thompson Lloyd Handicap Hurdle at The Open and following up with a comfortable success in a Pertemps qualifier at Newbury. His handler Willie Amos is hoping that his stable star can make a successful step up to Grade Two company in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day, Saturday, January 30.

The David Pipe-trained Mr Thriller got the better of leading Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle contender Starluck in a conditions hurdle at Haydock in November, but could only take third behind Sentry Duty at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, and he could be joined at The Festival by stablemate Lough Derg, whose finest hour came with victory in the 2007 Long Walk Hurdle.

A trio of entries from the stable of Nigel Twiston-Davies include Grade One scorer Pettifour, who scored in a novice chase at The Open in November, as well as Festival winners Ballyfitz, successful in the 2008 Pertemps Final, and Kayf Aramis, who landed the same race last year for former handler Venetia Williams.

Philip Hobbs has also entered a pair of horses with plenty of Festival experience. Fair Along has been runner-up in both the JCB Triumph Hurdle and the Irish Independent Newspaper Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase, while Massini’s Maguire landed what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle in 2007 and was third in last year’s RSA Chase.

The Howard Johnson-trained Tidal Bay, who runs in the colours of three-time Ladbrokes World Hurdle victor Inglis Drever, may make his fourth consecutive appearance at The Festival. After going down by a neck to Massini’s Maguire in 2007, the nine-year-old was a decisive winner of the Irish Independent Newspaper Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase in 2008 and took fourth in the Ryanair Chase last season.

Cape Tribulation was fifth for Malcolm Jefferson in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and chased home Zaynar in the Grade Two Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle at the Boylesports International at Cheltenham in December, while Bouggler, from the stable of Emma Lavelle, scored in a Grade Two Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April and was second to the Sheena West-trained Golan Way in a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

A potential Irish challenge of 12 includes the Eamon O’Connell-trained Powerstation, who has made the frame on five of his six previous visits to Cheltenham including when third in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Ninetieth Minute may also return to Prestbury Park, having triumphed in the Coral Cup for trainer Tom Taaffe last season.

Edward O’Grady has entered Jumbo Rio, successful in the Grade One Punchestown Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, and Listed scorer Torphichen, while Mouse Morris may be represented by the 2006 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition, who was fourth in the Grade Two Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle – his first start over the smaller obstacles since chasing home Brave Inca in the 2004 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The 2008 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Cousin Vinny and Mourad, third in last year’s JCB Triumph Hurdle, have both been given entries by Willie Mullins, while his younger brother Thomas could run Oscar Dan Dan, who landed the Grade One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December.

Other notable entries include Ebadiyan, from the Co Moynahan stable of Oliver Brady, and the Noel Meade-trained Muirhead, who fought out a thrilling finish to a Listed Hurdle at Naas on Tuesday.

Fiulin, who also holds an entry in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, was a Listed winner on the Flat for Marco Botti in 2009. Now in the care of Evan Williams after selling for 280,000 guineas at Tattersalls in October, he has not yet run over hurdles.

LADBROKES WORLD HURDLE PAST RESULTS

2009

• WINNER-BIG BUCK’S 6-11-10 Owner-The Stewart Family; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-6/1

• 2ND-Punchestowns 6-11-10 Owner-Judy Wilson; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-100/30

• 3RD-Powerstation 9-11-10 Owner-Fat Frog Syndicate; Trainer-Eamon O’Connell IRE; Jockey-Andrew McNamara; SP-25/1

14 ran, Time 5m 57.00s; Dist 1.75, 17 10/11 Fav Kasbah Bliss (4th)

2008

• WINNER-INGLIS DREVER 9-11-10 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Howard Johnson; Jockey-Denis O’Regan; SP-11/8 Fav

• 2ND-Kasbah Bliss 6-11-10 Owner-Henri De Pracomtal; Trainer-Francois Doumen FR; Jockey-Christophe Pieux; SP-9/1

• 3RD-Kazal 7-11-10 Owner- Joseph Comerford; Trainer-Eoin Griffin IRE; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-12/1

17 ran, Time-5m 52.90s; Dist-1, 7

2007

• WINNER-INGLIS DREVER 8-11-10 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Howard Johnson; Jockey-Paddy Brennan; SP-5/1

• 2ND-Mighty Man 7-11-10 Owner-Joss Hanbury; Trainer-Henry Daly; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-100/30

• 3RD-Blazing Bailey 5-11-10 Owner-Three Line Whip; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-8/1

14 ran, Time-5m 46.50s; Dist-0.75, 4 2/1 Fav Black Jack Ketchum (Fell)

2006

• WINNER MY WAY DE SOLZEN 6-11-10 Owner-B Winfield, A Longman, J Wright & C Fenton; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey- Robert Thornton; SP-8/1

• 2ND-Golden Cross 7-11-10 Owner-P Johnson; Trainer-Michael Halford IRE; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-5/1

• 3RD-Mighty Man 6-11-10 Owner-Joss Hanbury; Trainer-Henry Daly; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-4/1 Fav

20 ran, Time-5m 38.40s; Dist-hd, 4