County’s owners go for glory at festival (From Worcester News)

County’s owners go for glory at festival

7:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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WHILE all eyes will be on Kauto Star and Denman this week at Cheltenham, Callow End racehorse owner Jim Lewis is backing his charge Rivaliste to produce the goods on Thursday.

The Paul Nicholls-trained horse is the favourite for the Jewson Novices Handicap Chase in the opening race of the day.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, who will be hoping to lead Kauto Star home in the Gold Cup on Friday afternoon, Rivaliste is priced at 7-1 for the two-mile, five-furlong race.

Lewis, who owned triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate, also sends out Mahonia, co-owned with Derek Holder, in Friday’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle.

The ground at Cheltenham is good to soft, good in places, and Lewis expects both his horses to go well.

“The ground should suit both horses,” Lewis said. “But it’s Rivaliste I have the big hopes for.

“He’s the favourite for the opening race on Thursday and has a very good chance.”

While Lewis will be keeping a close eye on the two horses he is sending out, the Callow End owner believes the opening race of the Festival has the best bet.

Get me out of Here, in the Spinal Research Supreme Novices Hurdle, goes into the race unbeaten in his five outings and AP McCoy will be hoping the 5-1 shot gets his festival off to a winning start.

With Lewis backing McCoy to start the festival with a bang, he is hoping the Kauto Star-Denman battle will live up to the hype.

The two Nicholls-trained horses have dominated the Gold Cup for the last two years and the third instalment of this epic encounter is eagerly anticipated.

Both Kauto Star and Denman, who unseated McCoy last time out, have one win apiece and it is the Walsh-ridden Star that appears to have the edge.

“I think the ground will suit Kauto Star slightly more,” Lewis said. “But I just hope it is the spectacle we are all hoping for.

“However, I think that the best bet of the race will be Imperial Commander, while Tricky Trickster should run a good race.”

Claines-based Dr Richard Newland sends out two horses at the festival this week and he must decide when to run Good Old Thyme.

The horse is more likely to run in Friday’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle but, if he can secure a place in tomorrow’s Coral Cup, Newland expects his charge to take to the starting line there.

But it is Theologist in tomorrow’s Fred Winter Juvenile Novices Handicap Hurdle that provides Newland with his best hope at the festival with the horse priced 25-1.