Grands Crus to bring back the Gold Cup Chase (Handicap) for trainer, David Pipe
The biggest race of the jump racing during the National Hunt season so far is not long to commence now. Having collected one of the strongest fields, the Grade 3 Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase (Handicap) will award the winner with the grand £91,120 prize money.
The two mile, four furlong and 110 yard race at Cheltenham has inspired twenty entries who are four-year-old or above.
The line-up is truly flooded with those candidates who have been through this very test before too. Taking the lead over them is the 9 to 4 shot for the race, the David Pipe trained, Grands Crus. The brilliant traveler right now heads the field with amazing
credentials.
The seven-year-old jumping bold beauty also has connected with him the honour of chasing down the favourite entry, Big Buck’s, in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham. It was only the mark of 1 ¾ lengths that kept the reeling in rival at bay.
His highly tuned up form has already made him one of the leading favourites for the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Winning the race today, the top-class hurdler will bring back a consecutive win to the stable as last year’s edition was won by Grands Crus’ stable mate, Great Endeavour.
The proud trainer commented:
"I have made no secret of the fact that I consider a mark of 157 to be reasonable enough, especially with the likes of Silviniaco Conti franking the form in no uncertain terms in the Charlie Hall Chase."
"He has always shown plenty of speed so the trip of 2m4½f for him first time up should be ideal - they will be going a good clip and that should help him settle early on. He will be my only runner in the race."
The level of competition in the field is such that every trainer will want his representative to win right through it in order to accomplish one of the most challenging tasks for the stable.
Raising the testing bar higher than ever are, Hunt Ball, Al Ferof, 2009 runner-up, Poquelin and Aerial. The last three have been sent in by the champion trainer, Paul Nicholls.
Trainer, Nicky Henderson, is not very far behind with, Quantitativeeasing, Nadiya De La Vega, Tanks For That and Triolo D’Alene.
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