Gold Cup hopes feature aong Goffs Thyestes Chase entries
Total Recall and Acapella Bourgeois, among the entries for the Timico Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March, feature among an entry of six horses made by Willie Mullins this afternoon for the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday, January 25.
The champion trainer has also entered Pleasant Company, Polidam, Arbre De Vie and Isleofhopendreams as he bids to win the race for the seventh time and his first since Djakadam prevailed under top-weight in 2015.
In all, there are 37 horses entered for the €100,000 event and Gordon Elliott is responsible for 13 as he chases his first win in the race. Third in the race in 2016 and runner-up to Champagne West last year, Ucello Conti heads Elliott’s battalion which includes the novices Sutton Manor, a winner at Down Royal on St Stephen's Day, the recent Limerick Grade 2 McMahons Builders Novice Chase winner Dounikos and Monbeg Notorious, successful at Punchestown on New Year's Eve.
Noel Meade has put four horses in the race including Bonny Kate, third last year, while Mouse Morris has made three entries headed by Alpha Des Obeaux which took sixth place behind Road To Respect in the Grade 1 Leopardstown Christmas Chase last month.
Set to top the weights is last year’s hero Champagne West, the sole entry from trainer Henry De Bromhead. Liam Burke triumphed with My Murphy in 2016 and he could rely on Sumos Novios while other notable entries include the Pat Kelly-trained Mall Dini, Stuart Crawford’s Fine Rightly and Joseph O'Brien’s French import Vieux Morvan which was having his first run in Ireland when fifth in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The entries with weights for the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase will be revealed next Monday, January 15 at 2pm.
Eddie Scally, General Manager of Gowran Park, said: “We are really looking forward to this year’s renewal of the time honoured Goffs Thyestes Chase. Entries are again high in class and number and it bodes well for another thrilling race. All our corporate hospitality is sold out and advanced sales are at an all-time high, so all indicators point to another full house for our biggest day.”