Paul Nicholls rules with entries in the National Hunt season’s ‘Super Saturday’
The most thrilling and exciting Saturday for the National Hunt racing is only few hours away. There is the Hennessy Gold Cup, the Long Distance Hurdle and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. All the steeplechase connections have made sure that they get represented in these feature races. Top of the line is trainer, Paul Nicholls has set the mighty Big Buck’s for the Long Distance Hurdle, winning which will become the eighteenth consecutive victory. It is the straight fourth year that the champion hurdler will open the season by posting in the Long Distance success.
Besides winning the Hurdle with Big Buck’s for a fourth time, the genius of his profession has also planned for the same figure for the Hennessy Gold Cup which his entry, Tidal Bay, is leading. He right now heads the final confirmed field of nineteen contestants who are highly competitive and will make sure that the going becomes one of the most challenging in the history of the race.
The race also has the highlight entry, the ante-post favourite, Bobs Worth trained by, Nicky Henderson. Taking the field will be the stable mate, Roberto Goldback, who last won at Ascot and has been trained by Irish handlers before getting conditioned by Nicky Henderson.
Paul Nicholls has won the race with Strong Flow in 2003 and then his brilliant hurdler, Denman, won the honour in 2007 and again in 2009. This year, Tidal Bay will join teams with jockey, Ruby Walsh, to compete in the Hennessy glory. His stable mate, Harry The Viking, will also take up the challenge and will ride in the highly capable hands of one of the best in the profession, Daryl Jacob.
Irish participation in the spectacle will get highlighted by the contesting of First Lieutenant, Magnanimity and Lion Na Bearnai, who has won the Irish Grand National.
Trying to achieve through the opportunity what the legendary, Arkle, could make possible, are the connections of the 2011 victor, Carruthers, who has it set in mind to defend the tile against all odds.
The gruesome ground conditions of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle have left four competitors with Cinders And Ashes in the spotlight as his stable has bagged the last two editions of the race. In the line-up is one of the most celebrated entry, Countrywide Flame.
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