THE Carolina Cup highlights the steeplechase action over the weekend. The revamped spring meet added the longtime fall feature, the Colonial Cup, to its card, providing back-to-back stakes at the South Carolina oval. The $75,000 Carolina Cup is restricted to novices while the $150,000 Colonial Cup is for open stakes horses.

Irish-breds are well represented in each. Taper Tantrum makes his American debut in the Carolina Cup for Jonathan Sheppard. The son of Azamour won twice over hurdles and twice on the flat for Michael Bell. Lachares failed to hit the board in three starts last fall after exiting Ellmarie Holden’s stable.