3 minute read

Leading contender Buywise is in a race against time to be ready for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, trainer Evan Williams revealed on Wednesday as the entries for the Cheltenham showpiece and Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup were released.

Buywise, a general 10-1 chance for next month's feature handicap, hacked up by nine lengths in the Silver Trophy at the track's April meeting and was also successful on his seasonal return at Ludlow six days ago.

The seven-year-old was joined by the sponsor's ante-post favourites Oscar Whisky and Present View, as well as last year's winner Johns Spirit, in the 45 entries. Simonsig was the most notable absentee, while Djakadam and Pendra also miss out on the November 15 contest.

Williams said: "I will see how things pan out and Buywise will probably work again next Wednesday. We will see where we go from there.

"He might need another run beforehand if we go to Cheltenham and so I might be struggling for time. His run last time was badly needed.

"I'd love to go for the Paddy Power and that was the point of running him last week. It sort of backfired on us as he won but didn't have a hard enough race. I thought I was being clever running him over two miles but it just didn't stretch him enough.

"My first and foremost aim is to get him to the Paddy Power Gold Cup - he loves it round Cheltenham and that is where I want to be with him. But I just want to hang fire before fully committing him."

Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has won two of the last six runnings of the race, has entered Double Ross and Astracad, while Willie Mullins is responsible for over half of the seven Irish entries with Champagne Fever, Ballycasey, Felix Yonger and The Paparrazi Kid representing the powerful trainer.

The weights for the Paddy Power will be revealed on November 5.

Three of the Mullins quartet - Champagne Fever, Ballycasey and The Paparrazi Kid - also appeared in the 58 entries for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on November 29.

Joining the potential challenge to give Ireland a first win in the race since 1980 is the Mouse Morris-trained First Lieutenant, who finished second to Bobs Worth in the 2012 renewal.

Of the home contenders, Nicky Henderson has last year's winner Triolo D'Alene, who could bid to become the first back-to-back winner since the great Arkle in 1965, entered with Hadrian's Approach, who unseated his rider 12 months ago.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls, a three-time winner of the Hennessy, has seven possibles with Rocky Creek, runner-up last year, Unioniste and Just a Par catching the eye among the entry, which was race's biggest for four years.

William Hill were on Wednesday the first bookmaker to bet on the Hennessy with the firm chalking up Fingal Bay, Djakadam and Smad Place as 8-1 co-favourites. Rocky Creek is 10-1 with Le Bec and Hadrian's Approach available at 12-1.