When will we be seeing.....

[my miss storm cat]

Racing Post...

On Voy Por.....


Pair may go hurdling after missing Exeter chase

by David Carr

VOY POR USTEDES (pictured above, left) and Twist Magic could both make unexpected returns to hurdling after being ruled out of Tuesday's William Hill Gold Cup.

Each had been firmly pencilled in to make his comeback in Tuesday afternoon's £70,000 but neither was declared for the biggest race of the season at Exeter, where the ground on the chase course was described officially as good, good to firm in places.

Alan King felt there was not enough give underfoot for Voy Por Ustedes and said: “It was too firm and we are not chancinghim - it is not worth the risk. We were desperate to run but we have waited this long and we will continue to wait.

“We are not going to go anywhere until it rains but I have put him in over hurdles in a limited handicap at Wincanton on Saturday, theElite Hurdle - he is on off only 130 so that is an option for him.”

Voy Por Ustedes, who has not run over hurdles since his juvenile campaign in 2004/5 when he won three times, is among 18 entries for the Elite, along with last season's smart novice Osana and Deep Purple, who is unbeaten in four runs over jumps for Evan Williams.

Paul Nicholls also withdrew Twist Magic from the Exeter race and said: “When Alan didn't run Voy Por Ustedes I wasn't very keen on running under top-weight first time as a five-year-old on that ground so we decided to wait and play safe.

“He is in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and there is a graduation chase at Kempton next week that he is eligible for but we will wait and see where we go.”


... and Monk!



Monkerhostin effort thrills Hobbs

by Nick Robson

PHILIP HOBBS was delighted with Monkerhostin's third behind Ollie Magern in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday.

The former King George VI Chase runner-up may next be seen over hurdles due to a lack of opportunities over fences.

"I was chuffed to bits really but there aren't that many options for him with his handicap mark," said Hobbs.

"We have the Limited handicaps to go at but he is 10 years old and he is not getting any better.

"I was delighted with his jumping, he raced with enthusiasm and he stayed on very well.

"We did have him entered in the Aintree race in which Kauto Star ran (the Old Roan Chase) but I think probably two and a half miles is too short for him these days - but we are looking at all the options.

"I wouldn't even disregard a three-mile hurdle race for him as there are so few options for him we just have to go where we can."

[NoChanceToDance]

From RP.......

by Rodney Masters



VOY POR USTEDES (pictured above, pink cap) may make his seasonal debut at Cheltenham next Sunday in a £50,000 handicap over 2m, trainer Alan King said on Friday.

Fast ground frustrated King's original plan to launch his Queen Mother Champion Chase winner this week in the William Hill Gold Cup at Exeter, and also his alternative option, Saturday's totescoop6 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. Now King may turn his attention to the £50,000 paddypower.com Handicap Chase.

“It wouldn't be ideal starting off under top weight ina handicap, but we're running rather short of options,” said the trainer. “He's not a definite runner at this stage because obviously ground conditions will again be a factor.”

Cheltenham is engaged in a watering programme, and course spokesman Andy Clifton said on Friday the going on the chase and hurdle courses was officially ‘good'. “We also hand 5mm of rain on Thursday, and that has helped,” he added.

Stablemate My Way De Solzen, winner of the Arkle Chase last season, is on course to clash with Kauto Star in Haydock's Betfair Chase on Saturday - providing the ground eases in the next fortnight.

King added: "It's pretty likely that My Way De Solzen will go to the Betfair Chase as that would be the first logical step. He's fine and ready to run but we need the rain.”

In Betfair's market on the Betfair Chase Kauto Star was trading as 11-10 favourite on Friday afternon ahead of My Way De Solzen at 4-1 and Exotic Dancer at 8-1.

Jessica Harrington has mapped out a return for top-class hurdler Macs Joy in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown next Sunday.

Harrington said: “It's great to have him back. He's a wonderful horse, we were very disappointed he didn't make it to Cheltenham last year and the plan this year will be to get two or three races into him before going for the Champion Hurdle again.”

Macs Joy is set to face stiff opposition in a field that could include previous winners Harchibald and Iktitaf, both trained by Noel Meade.

Nicky Henderson has admitted that there are some "dangerous" times ahead for Trabolgan as he plots a return for the 2005 Hennessy Gold Cup winner who has been off the track with tendon trouble for nearly two years.

"He's back and he looks tremendous," said Henderson. "Mick Meagher, who looks after them at (owner) Trevor Hemmings' stud, has done a great job and kept him ticking over in controlled exercise.

"Rain is the crucial thing - we are not getting drawn into making targets.

"An awful lot of the injuries are caused by them not being fit, particularly at this time of year - these are dangerous times," he told At The Races.


* * * * *

Hope Voy Por goes to Cheltenham on Sunday, then i will see him

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

Hope Voy Por goes to Cheltenham on Sunday, then i will see him

Blow him a kiss when he wins...

* * *


IKTITAF OUT FOR SEASON


By Nick Robson, PA Sport


Noel Meade has ruled his Champion Hurdle hope Iktitaf out for the season after he suffered a nasty cut schooling on Friday morning.

The six-year-old was expected to make his seasonal reappearance in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown this weekend.

Iktitaf won the race last year and went on to push Brave Inca all the way in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown.

He was in the process of running a huge race in the Champion Hurdle last March when he fell at the third-last flight.

"Iktitaf got a cut schooling this morning," said Meade.

"Paul (Carberry) came in to school him and he suffered a nasty overreach.

"It's a bad cut. We sent him off to hospital to have it stitched - it's definitely a bad cut.

"It's put paid to his season I would think."

[my miss storm cat]

On "brave Ustedes"... who lost by a head.....

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...al_150342.html

[NoChanceToDance]

He had to carry a big weight today, and the more rain that fell (believe me, there was a lot) the better chance the winner had.

The ground was terrible by that race, and it was quite a surprised they run anymore races. They did abandon the last race though.

Terrible day, soaked from head to toe. Felt like i had swam the atlantic fully clothed by the time i had got to the car!

[NoChanceToDance]

From RP.......

by Lee Mottershead



“IT would have been lovely to win,” admitted Alan King, but neither he, jockey Robert Thornton nor the bookmakers seemed in the least bit concerned that the Queen Mother ChampionChase hero Voy Por Ustedes was beaten on his seasonal reappearance on Sunday.

Attempting to concede 26lb to Kalca Mome, Voy Por Ustedes succumbed by a neck at the end of a Paddypower.com Handicap Chase that the top two-miler's connections had made clear beforehand was a prep race for the Paddy Power Tingle Creek Trophy in 19 days' time.

The Seasons Holidays-sponsored Champion Chase remains the ultimate aim for the ante-post favourite, whose odds for the festival championship remained largely unchanged. Those layers who did make alterations were impressed, with Stan James now offering the shortest price about Voy Por Ustedes after cutting him to 100-30 from 7-2. William Hill went 4-1 from 5-1, while Blue Square's 9-2 is the biggest price available.

In a slowly run race staged on soft ground and in driving rain, Thornton sent Voy Por Ustedes - who was inclined to lug right for most of the contest - into the lead at the water jump. Although around five lengths clear at the penultimate fence, he was not asked a serious question until after the final obstacle, by which time the Richard Johnson-ridden Kalca Mome had already clawed back most of the deficit. Having taken over in the final strides, Kalca Mome went on to win a race in which third home Pauntley Gofa was only beaten just over 14 lengths, despite running from 41lb out of the handicap.

“I'm very happy with that,” said King. “I thought to myself going to the last, ‘He's going to get mugged', but with the weight he was carryingon that ground I'm still very happy.

“It would have been lovely to win here, but the two races we want to win this season are the Queen Mother and the Tingle Creek, and this should put him spot on for Sandown and take the freshness out of him, as he was almost too gassy today.

“I've said all along that it wouldn't be the end of the world if he got beat and he got beat, but he still came out of the race with a lot of credit.”

Agreeing with King, Thornton said: “I'm as happy as you can be after getting beat. It was one of those things. I was trying to save him on that ground and with that weight on his back, and he's just been pegged back.”

The horse who did the pegging back was described by Philip Hobbs as “a star”, but there are absolutely noplans for Kalca Mome to take on Voy Por Ustedes again.

“I think we might not beat him at level weights,” said Hobbs. No tongue has ever been firmer in cheek.

Winning groom: Liam Burns

[my miss storm cat]

On Numbersixvalverde.....

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...xvalverde.html