No More Heroes (Gordon Elliott) heads the 50 entries for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, having won impressively on his last two starts, both of which have been in Grade 1 company.
More Of That (Jonjo O'Neill) is already a festival winner, taking the 2014 World Hurdle, and he has made the perfect start to his chasing career, with two victories from two starts, both coming at Cheltenham. Another horse already on the scoresheet at Cheltenham this season is Scottish contender Seeyouatmidnight (Sandy Thomson), who put up a near flawless performance on New Year's Day when successful in Grade 2 company.
Another horse under consideration for the RSA Chase is Zabana (Andrew Lynch), who sports the colours of Chris Jones which have been carried by previous festival winners such as Klairon Davis, Tiger Cry and What A Charm. The seven-year-old also holds an entry in the JLT Novices' Chase 24 hours later.
Zabana was a very useful hurdler and performed well to finish second in the ultra-competitive Coral Cup at the festival in 2015. He also finished third to Jezki in a Grade 1 contest over three miles at the Punchestown Festival. Zabana's seasonal debut was at Leopardstown on December 28th and he made the best start to his chasing career by taking a beginners' chase impressively.
Lynch, who is based at Dunsany in Coy Meath, said: "Zabana has been entered in both the RSA Chase and the JLT Novices' Chase. No decision has been made as to which race he goes for yet. I will need to have a good look at the entries.
"He will hopefully next run in the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown on February 6th over two miles and five furlongs. That race should also give us some pointers as to Cheltenham. It is sure to be a strong race at Leopardstown, but he needs to be going for something like that to see where we are with him.
"I was absolutely thrilled with his first run over fences. I thought he might need it a bit as it was his first run back but he did it really well.
"He should definitely get up the hill at Cheltenham. When he was second at The Festival last year in the Coral Cup he just did it a bit of a u-turn after the last - I think if had run straight, he might have got to the winner.
"The ground doesn't matter a bit to him - he goes equally well on anything. He is a very exciting horse and hopefully we can keep him right and head to Cheltenham."
RSA CHASE
Grade 1, £150,000 Total Prize Fund, Cheltenham, 2.10pm, Wednesday, March 16th. 3m 80yds.
Horse Age Owner Trainer
ACTIVIAL (FR) 6 Potensis Bloodstock Limited Harry Fry
AS DE MEE (FR) 6 The Stewart Family & Judi Dench Paul Nicholls
AVANT TOUT (FR) 6 Supreme Horse Racing Club/Brett TGraham Willie Mullins IRE
BALLYALTON (IRE) 9 John Westwood Ian Williams
BALLYCHORUS (IRE) 7 Barry Connell Mags Mullins IRE
BEAST OF BURDEN (IRE) 7 Carl Hinchy Rebecca Curtis
BITOFAPUZZLE 8 Potensis Bloodstock Ltd & Chris Giles Harry Fry
BLACK HERCULES (IRE) 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
BLAKLION 7 S Such & CG Paletta Nigel Twiston-Davies
BONNY KATE (IRE) 6 Patricia Hunt Noel Meade IRE
BRISTOL DE MAI (FR) 5 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies
DEFINITLY RED (IRE) 7 P J Martin Brian Ellison
DRUMACOO (IRE) 7 Mrs Robin Birley Ben Pauling
FLAXEN FLARE (IRE) 7 Mrs Pat Sloan Gordon Elliott IRE
FLETCHERS FLYER (IRE) 8 Masterson Holdings Limited Harry Fry
IT CAME TO PASS (IRE) 6 Dr Ronan Lambe Jim Culloty IRE
KILLULTAGH VIC (IRE) 7 Rose Boyd/B Anderson/Mrs M Armstrong Willie Mullins IRE
LE MERCUREY (FR) 6 Colm Donlon & Chris Giles Paul Nicholls
LESSONS IN MILAN (IRE) 8 Trevor Hemmings Nicky Henderson
LOCAL SHOW (IRE) 8 Nicholas Piper & Claire E Piper Ben Pauling
MARINERO (IRE) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Tony Martin IRE
MAXIMISER (IRE) 8 J D Gordon Simon West
MCKINLEY 6 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
MEASUREOFMYDREAMS (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
MINELLA ROCCO (IRE) 6 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
MONKSLAND (IRE) 9 Patricia Hunt Noel Meade IRE
MORE OF THAT (IRE) 8 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
NATIVE RIVER (IRE) 6 Brocade Racing Colin Tizzard
NET D'ECOSSE (FR) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
NO MORE HEROES (IRE) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
NOBLE ENDEAVOR (IRE) 7 C Jones Gordon Elliott IRE
OUT SAM 7 Swanee River Partnership Warren Greatrex
OUTLANDER (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE) 8 Malcolm C Denmark Willie Mullins IRE
PONT ALEXANDRE (GER) 8 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
RACING PULSE (IRE) 7 Carl Hinchy Rebecca Curtis
ROI DES FRANCS (FR) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
RULE THE WORLD 9 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE
SAMBREMONT (FR) 6 Shanakiel Racing Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
SEEYOUATMIDNIGHT 8 Mrs A M Thomson Sandy Thomson
SHANESHILL (IRE) 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
SHANTOU FLYER (IRE) 6 S O'Neill Colin Bowe IRE
SOUTHFIELD ROYALE 6 Angela Yeoman Neil Mulholland
TELL US MORE (IRE) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins IRE
THOMAS BROWN 7 The Corse Lawners Harry Fry
UN TEMPS POUR TOUT (IRE) 7 Professor Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew David Pipe
VIVA STEVE (IRE) 8 Tim Radford Mick Channon
VYTA DU ROC (FR) 7 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
WIZARDS BRIDGE 7 The Butterwick Syndicate Colin Tizzard
ZABANA (IRE) 7 C Jones Andrew Lynch IRE
50 entries
24 Irish-trained
SHARING OPTIONS: