3 minute read
On His Own, who was beaten a short-head in the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup, heads 19 entries for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase on day one of The International at Cheltenham on Friday.
The Willie Mullins-trained 11-year-old was fifth behind Coneygree in last season's renewal of chasing's Blue Riband and readily captured a Grade Three Chase at Cork in April but could only finish seventh on his Cross Country debut at Punchestown on November 14.
Irish trainers are responsible for 11 entries in the three and three-quarter mile contest and Mullins could also be represented by Uncle Junior, who has twice been victorious around Cheltenham's Cross Country course, and Dogora.
Enda Bolger has entered Josies Orders, successful in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Open last month, and Punchestown winner Love Rory, while Rivage D'Or, who took the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at The Festival in March, may line up for Tony Martin.
Any Currency was beaten a length and a quarter when second to Josies Orders at The Open but the 12-year-old was conceding 23lb to the winner on that occasion and the pair are set to re-oppose off level weights, with this year's race having changed from a handicap to a conditions event.
The Martin Keighley-trained Any Currency won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The International in December last year and has been runner-up in the last two renewals of the Glenfarclas-sponsored Cross Country race at The Festival. He was also second in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The International in December, 2013 when beaten a half-length by Sire Collonges, from champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls' Somerset yard. Nine-year-old Sire Collonges has raced at Cheltenham 14 times from 21 starts, winning twice at the Home of Jump Racing. Any Currency has appeared in 13 races at Cheltenham, finishing in the first four in all but two of them.
Keighley, who is based at Luckley near Condicote in Gloucestershire, commented: "Any Currency ran the race of his life at The Open, giving all that weight away to Josies Orders, and came out of that race in good form.
"The race conditions will suit us a lot better this time and, hopefully, he can do what he did last year and win it again.
"Softer ground will be no problem because he stays so well. It's interesting that we might run against On His Own, although he was behind Quantitativeeasing at Punchestown last time and Any Currency beat that horse at Cheltenham last year."
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is the final leg of the 2015 Crystal Cup and Martalin, the current joint-leader of the horse standings for the pan-European series, has been given an entry by French trainer Patrice Quinton.
Sausalito Sunrise (Philip Hobbs) won the Murphy Group Handicap Chase at The Open and the seven-year-old could bid for more Grade Three success in the £45,000 Ryman Stationery Handicap Chase (2.10pm) over three and a quarter miles.
A total of 23 entries also include The Druid's Nephew (Neil Mulholland), who took the Grade Three Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase at this year's Festival, and dual Listed chase scorer Wakanda (Sue Smith).
The Nicholls-trained pair of impressive Chepstow winner It's a Close Call and Vicente, winner of the Mallardjewellers.com Novices' Chase at The Open, are among 12 entries for the opening £23,000 Harrison, James & Hardie Novices' Chase (12.30pm).
Unexposed five-year-old One Track Mind (Warren Greatrex) is one of 24 entries for the £22,000 Citipost Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm), which could also feature Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle third Our Kaempfer (Charlie Longsdon).
