The 2007 Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase victor Voy Por Ustedes is among a tremendous 25-strong entry for this year’s renewal of the prestigious Grade One event,
which takes place on day two of The Festival, Wednesday, March 12, 2008.
Entries for the thrilling championship contest, worth £310,000, also include 2006 victor Newmill, as well as the rising star of the two-mile chase division, Twist Magic, who has won his last three starts over fences.
The Alan King-trained Voy Por Ustedes took the prize last term with a length and a half
victory over Dempsey. He landed the Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on December 27 last time out, but was previously no match for the Paul Nicholls-trained Twist Magic, who was three lengths superior when the pair met in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on December 8.
Alongside the reigning champion, King has entered last season’s impressive Grade One
Irish Independent Arkle Trophy hero My Way De Solzen, who has disappointed in two starts over three miles this term at Haydock and Kempton.
A classy Irish quintet has been entered, including Newmill, who took the prize for trainer
John Murphy two years ago. The Arthur Moore-trained Mansony held a fast-finishing Nickname to take the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27, with Schindler’s Hunt third. Moore won the prize in 1981 with Drumgora and in 1996 with Klairon Davies. The progressive Mansony also saw off the Eamon Sheehy-trained Justified when taking the Grade One Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown in April, while the top-class Nickname won six of seven starts last term for trainer Martin Brassil.
Champion trainer Nicholls won the prestigious contest in 1999 with Call Equiname and again
in 2004 with Azertyuiop. His four-strong entry this season also includes French import Master
Minded, successful in a two-mile Sandown handicap chase on January 5, last season’s Johnny
Henderson Grand Annual Chase victor Andreas and Desert Orchid Chase runner-up Hoo la
Baloo.
Ferdy Murphy has engaged the classy Another Promise, winner of the Grade One
Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase at Punchestown in April, while Kevin Bishop could run Ashley Brook, who was runner-up in the 2005 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy to Contraband, now trained by Paul Murphy.
Philip Hobbs was successful in 2002 with Flagship Uberalles and he has entered Fair
Along, who was five-lengths second in last season’s The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy in which the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Don’t Push It fell when in contention two out.
Nicky Henderson saddled the brilliant Remittance Man to take the Seasons Holidays Queen
Mother Champion Chase in 1992 and he has entered 2007 The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy
third Jack The Giant, winner of the The Ladbroke over hurdles in December and impressive when returned to chasing at Leicester on January 8.
David Pipe could saddle Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup winner Tamarinbleu and
Grade Two William Hill Gold Cup victor Pablo Du Charmil, while the latter’s half-brother, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Patman Du Charmil, is also entered.
Howard Johnson has entered the smart Lennon, while Oneway, fourth in 2005, could take
his chance for trainer Mark Rimell and Michael Scudamore has engaged Azulejo.
The French challenge consists of the Richard Chotard-trained pair Fustrien Du Paon and
Majadal.