Thursday 12 January 2017 12:42, UK
Cue Card could bid for a second victory in the £300,000 Grade One Ryanair Chase on Thursday, March 16, after he was confirmed as one of the 48 entries for this year's race.
The 11-year-old ran away with the near two-mile, five-furlong contest in 2013 when thrashing First Lieutenant by nine lengths, and has since established himself as one of Britain's leading staying chasers.
He fell at the third last when going strongly in the 2016 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup. This season, Cue Card captured his third Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in November before chasing home impressive stablemate Thistlecrack in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park over Christmas.
Colin Tizzard's four other entries also include French import Alary, yet to run for the stable and entered in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup like Cue Card, Shloer Chase victor Fox Norton, Sizing Granite and Viconte Du Noyer. The last three also hold entries in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Willie Mullins accounts for seven of the 18 Irish-trained entries. The septet features hot Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase favourite Douvan, dual Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, 2015 Racing Post Arkle Chase victor Un De Sceaux and the star mare Vroum Vroum Mag.
Among Henry de Bromhead's three contenders is Valseur Lido, runner-up last year when trained by Willie Mullins, while Gordon Elliott has course and distance scorer Empire Of Dirt and Outlander in his three entries. Other possibles include Uxizandre, off the course since winning the 2015 Ryanair Chase, French-trained Vezelay, third on his British debut in the Betfair Chase, BetVictor Gold Cup scorer Taquin De Seuil and Ar Mad.
The 48-strong entry represents the joint third-highest level of entries in the history of the Ryanair Chase, founded in 2005.
Horse | Age | Owner | Trainer |
ALARY (FR) | 7 | Ann & Alan Potts | Colin Tizzard |
AR MAD (FR) | 7 | Ashley Head | Gary Moore |
ARCTIC SKIPPER (IRE) | 8 | L Halley | Vincent Halley IRE |
ART MAURESQUE (FR) | 7 | Mrs Johnny de la Hey | Paul Nicholls |
ASO (FR) | 7 | The Bellamy Partnership | Venetia Williams |
BALLYCASEY (IRE) | 10 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
BLACK HERCULES (IRE) | 8 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
BRISTOL DE MAI (FR) | 6 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
CARRAIG MOR (IRE) | 9 | Masterson Holdings Limited | Alan King |
CHAMPAGNE FEVER (IRE) | 10 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
CHAMPAGNE WEST (IRE) | 9 | Roger Brookhouse | Henry de Bromhead IRE |
COLD MARCH (FR) | 7 | Andrew Brooks | Venetia Williams |
CUE CARD | 11 | Jean Bishop | Colin Tizzard |
DJAKADAM (FR) | 8 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
DODGING BULLETS | 9 | Martin Broughton & Friends | Paul Nicholls |
DOUVAN (FR) | 7 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
EMPIRE OF DIRT (IRE) | 10 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
FOX NORTON (FR) | 7 | Ann & Alan Potts | Colin Tizzard |
GOD'S OWN (IRE) | 9 | Crossed Fingers Partnership | Tom George |
IRISH CAVALIER (IRE) | 8 | Andrew McIver | Rebecca Curtis |
JOSSES HILL (IRE) | 9 | Alan Spence | Nicky Henderson |
KING'S ODYSSEY (IRE) | 8 | William & Angela Rucker | Evan Williams |
KYLEMORE LOUGH | 8 | M J McMahon & Denis Gallagher | Kerry Lee |
LONG HOUSE HALL (IRE) | 9 | Carl Hinchy | Dan Skelton |
MORE OF THAT (IRE) | 9 | J P McManus | Jonjo O'Neill |
OUTLANDER (IRE) | 9 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
ROAD TO RICHES (IRE) | 10 | Gigginstown House Stud | Noel Meade IRE |
ROI DES FRANCS (FR) | 8 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
ROYAL REGATTA (IRE) | 9 | Lesley Field & Eileen Murphy | Philip Hobbs |
SAPHIR DU RHEU (FR) | 8 | The Stewart Family | Paul Nicholls |
SHANTOU FLYER (IRE) | 7 | Carl Hinchy | Rebecca Curtis |
SIZING GRANITE (IRE) | 9 | Ann & Alan Potts | Colin Tizzard |
SIZING JOHN | 7 | Ann & Alan Potts Partnership | Jessica Harrington IRE |
SMAD PLACE (FR) | 10 | Mrs Peter Andrews | Alan King |
SMASHING (FR) | 8 | Ann & Alan Potts Partnership | Mouse Morris IRE |
SUB LIEUTENANT (IRE) | 8 | Gigginstown House Stud | Henry de Bromhead IRE |
TAQUIN DU SEUIL (FR) | 10 | Martin Broughton & Friends 1 | Jonjo O'Neill |
TRAFFIC FLUIDE (FR) | 7 | Galloping On The South Downs Partnership | Gary Moore |
UN DE SCEAUX (FR) | 9 | Edward O'Connell | Willie Mullins IRE |
UXIZANDRE (FR) | 9 | J P McManus | Alan King |
VALSEUR LIDO (FR) | 8 | Gigginstown House Stud | Henry de Bromhead IRE |
VANITEUX (FR) | 8 | Richard & Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes | Nicky Henderson |
VEZELAY (FR) | 8 | P Joubert | Emmanuel Clayeux FR |
VIBRATO VALTAT (FR) | 8 | Axom XLIII | Paul Nicholls |
VICONTE DU NOYER (FR) | 8 | Ann & Alan Potts | Colin Tizzard |
VILLAGE VIC (IRE) | 10 | Alan Peterson | Philip Hobbs |
VROUM VROUM MAG (FR) | 8 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
ZABANA (IRE) | 8 | Chris Jones | Andrew Lynch IRE |
