Haydock Park

BLUE SQUARE GOLD CUP IS “PLAN A” FOR LE BEAU BAI
Wed 27th Jan 10 - 16:51

HIGH-CLASS 49 ENTERED FOR HAYDOCK PARK FEATURE
                                                                    
Le Beau Bai has developed into an exciting staying chaser for trainer Richard Lee and the Herefordshire handler is keen to run his Welsh National third in the £100,000 Grade Three Blue Square Gold Cup (3.30pm) over three and a half miles at Haydock Park on Saturday, February 20. Blue Square rate Le Beau Bai a 12/1 chance.

The seven-year-old, owned by the Glass Half Full partnership that includes Aintree Racecourse chairman Lord Daresbury, is one of 49 high-class entries, up from 39 in 2009, for the prestigious handicap chase.

Lee revealed today: "The Blue Square Gold Cup is definitely Le Beau Bai's target at the moment - hopefully it will rain enough for him. He is also in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown but he is unlikely to run in that because I see that Money Trix is in there and it doesn't seem terribly sensible to take him on at level weights.

"Haydock is a good, stiff track that should play to Le Beau Bai's strengths and is very much plan A."
Ridden by his usual partner, the smart amateur Oliver Greenall - Lord Daresbury's son - Le Beau Bai finished less than eight lengths behind Dream Alliance (12/1) when sent off favourite for the Welsh National at Chepstow on December 28, and could line up for the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree in April after running at Haydock Park.

Lee continued: "We were absolutely thrilled with him in the Welsh National because he's only a pony, he's tiny and I thought he ran a tremendous race.

"Lord Daresbury is very keen for Le Beau Bai to be entered in this year's John Smith's Grand National. The horse is very short on experience but he is the sort that would jump around there. For all he is only little, he is very careful and clever as a cat.

"Oliver would ride him as he gets on very well with the horse. His father has horses in the yard but I use him because he is a very good rider. He is a great horseman and I am lucky to have him."

Big race veteran Our Vic (20/1) won the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on January 23, and is one of three horses entered by trainer David Pipe. The others are his fellow David Johnson-owned horses The Package (10/1) and Comply Or Die (20/1), winner of the 2008 John Smith's Grand National.

The Blue Square Gold Cup could see another John Smith's Grand National hero in the field as Venetia Williams has engaged last year's winner, Mon Mome (20/1), alongside Miko de Beauchene (10/1), successful in the 2008 renewal of the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup, as well as that season's Welsh National.

Philip Hobbs has entered this season's Welsh National victor Dream Alliance, while another winner of that Chepstow contest also engaged at Haydock is the Alan King-trained Halcon Genelardais (16/1), successful in 2006. The Lucinda Russell-trained Silver By Nature was runner-up in this season's renewal and currently heads the market with Blue Square at 8/1.

Hello Bud (20/1) landed the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has also entered Beat The Boys (20/1), Ballyfitz (16/1), Irish Raptor (25/1) and Knowhere (25/1).

The Nicky Henderson-trained Trabolgan (12/1) won the Grade One RSA Chase at The Festival in 2005, while the Martin Todhunter-trained Star De Mohaison (25/1) won that same contest in 2006, when in the care of champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Nicholls has engaged Nozic (20/1) and Tricky Trickster (10/1), winner of last season's National Hunt Chase at The Festival and currently at the head of the market for the John Smith's Grand National.

The Donald McCain-trained Cloudy Lane (16/1) has notched five successes at Haydock, including the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase in 2009, while Air Force One (25/1), trained by Charlie Mann, has plenty of talent and is being aimed at the John Smith's Grand National.

Character Building (14/1) won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival for trainer John Quinn, while the Ferdy Murphy-trained New Alco (25/1) was runner-up in the Grade

Three William Hill Trophy at the 2008 Festival and the Jeremy Scott-trained Gone To Lunch (16/1) filled the same berth in the Grade Three Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April.

There are eight Irish-trained entries, headed by a quartet from the Willie Mullins yard. The trainer has engaged Troytown Handicap Chase winner Beroni (14/1), Ballytrim (20/1), Arbor Supreme (20/1) and Pomme Tiepy (20/1). Noel Meade has engaged Grade Two winner Parsons Pistol (20/1), while Tony Martin has entered Newbay Prop (20/1), Hold The Pin (14/1) and Lochan Lacha (25/1). 

Others of note include Cappa Bleu (14/1), Snoopy Loopy (40/1), Companero (14/1), Belon Gale (16/1), Abbeybraney (12/1), Chief Dan George (20/1), According To Pete (16/1) and last season's Blue Square Gold Cup runner-up Coe (14/1).

Weights for the Blue Square Gold Cup will be released on Wednesday, February 3. The maximum number of runners for the Grade Three contest is 20, with two reserves.

The excellent seven-race card at Haydock Park on February 20, also features the £45,000 Grade Two Joseph Heler Cheese Hurdle (2.20pm) over three miles and a furlong, and the £30,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (2.55pm) over the same distance.

Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, commented: "The entries for the Blue Square Gold Cup this year are very strong.

"To have two Grand National winners and several proven Haydock Park performers among the entries is very pleasing while we are also delighted to have received such a strong entry from Ireland."

Opening prices from Blue Square:
8/1 Silver By Nature, 10/1 Miko De Beauchene, 10/1 The Package, 10/1 Tricky Trickster, 12/1 Abbeybraney, 12/1 Dream Alliance, 12/1 Le Beau Bai, 12/1 Trabolgan, 14/1 Beroni, 14/1 Cappa Bleu, 14/1 Character Building, 14/1 Coe, 14/1 Companero, 14/1 Hold The Pin, 16/1 According To John, 16/1 According To Pete, 16/1 Ballyfitz, 16/1 Belon Gale, 16/1 Chiaro, 16/1 Cloudy Lane, 16/1 Gone To Lunch, 16/1 Halcon Genelardais, 16/1 Jass, 16/1 L'Aventure, 20/1 Arbor Supreme, 20/1 Ballytrim, 20/1 Beat The Boys, 20/1 Chief Dan George, 20/1 Comply Or Die, 20/1 Hello Bud, 20/1 Kornati Kid, 20/1 Mon Mome, 20/1 Mumbles Head, 20/1 Newbay Prop, 20/1 Nozic, 20/1 Our Vic, 20/1 Parsons Pistol, 20/1 Pomme Tiepy, 25/1 Air Force One, 25/1 Eric's Charm, 25/1 Irish Raptor, 25/1 Knowhere, 25/1 Lochan Lacha, 25/1 New Alco, 25/1 Oscar Park, 25/1 Out The Black, 25/1 Sherwoods Folly, 25/1 Star De Mohaison, 40/1 Snoopy Loopy
Each-way 1/4 - 1,2,3,4
All quoted

For further information please contact Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, on 01942 725963 or 07798 928924 or e-mail: dickon.white@jockeyclubracecourses.com