| The four-day Cheltenham Festival
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| | Plenty of horses that have been placed in
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| dominates the March programme, but
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| | the race previously have put that
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| there's also a busy programme of racing
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| | beneficial experience to good use by
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| throughout the month including the
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| | returning again the next year to run
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| ever-popular Imperial Cup day at Sandown
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| | well. Ireland's formidable trio of Brave
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| plus the thrills and spills of the
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| | Inca, Macs Joy and Al Eile, who finished
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| Midlands Grand National day at Uttoxeter.
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| | third, fifth and seventh respectively in
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| Flat fans, meanwhile, will need no
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| | last year's race will all be fancying
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| reminding that the new turf season kicks
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| | their chances of winning this race a
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| off with the William Hill Lincoln at
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| | second time around.
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| Redcar on March 25.
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| | The home-based challenge looks poor and
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| March begins with the newly-established
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| | has been hit hard by a spate of cruel
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| Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury on the 4th
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| | injuries as well as the loss of form of
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| over two and a half miles. It's something
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| | emerging contenders such as Faasel and
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| of a surprise to find such a valuable
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| | Penzance. Maybe the best of the British
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| race staged so close to the Cheltenham
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| | will be Arcalis, whose chances will be
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| Festival, and many trainers face the
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| | much increased by quick ground at
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| dilemma of deciding whether to run here
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| | Cheltenham, and a return to form for his
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| or in either the Ryanair Chase or Racing
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| | stable.
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| Post Plate over similar distances at the
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| | Wednesday sees the two-mile heavyweights
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| Cheltenham Festival.
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| | clash in the stirring championship that
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| Twelve months ago a solid handicapper in
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| | is the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
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| the shape of Supreme Prince held on to
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| | Predicting this year's winner revolves
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| land the valuable prize while in its
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| | around whether punters think dual winner
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| inaugural year, the classy Isio was a
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| | and reigning champion Moscow Flyer is
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| well-backed winner. Absent since that
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| | just a jaded member of the old guard
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| season, Nicky Henderson's gelding may
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| | ready to be swept away by young
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| well reappear in this race and would be
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| | pretenders such as the classy Kauto Star
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| an interesting contender.
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| | and the improving Fota Island.
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| On the same day Doncaster's Grimthorpe
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| | Disappointing on his two starts so far
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| Chase, a staying handicap over three and
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| | this season, the mighty Moscow Flyer is
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| a quarter miles, has been transferred to
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| | twelve years of age and you have to go
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| Lingfield and may well be the chosen
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| | back almost thirty years (1977) to find
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| target of A Glass In Thyne, who won the
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| | the last winner from that age group.
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| Skybet Chase that had also been switched
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| | Kauto Star, by contrast, has youth on his
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| from Doncaster to Southwell in January.
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| | side and hails from the Paul Nicholls
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| Maybe the changing fixture pattern will
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| | stable that has the best recent record in
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| repeat itself again for Ben Pollock's
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| | this race with winners in 2004 and 1999,
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| improving young chaser.
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| | and four placed horses since 2000. Kauto
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| Champion trainer Martin Pipe has endured
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| | Star is a worthy favourite to add to that
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| a stop-start season but plenty of punters
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| | auspicious tally.
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| will still be scouring the list of
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| | Thursday's championship race is the World
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| runners for the Imperial Cup at Sandown
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| | Hurdle, formerly known as the Stayers'
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| on March 11 in the hope of unearthing
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| | Hurdle and rather like the Queen Mother
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| another Pipe hotpot for one of the
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| | Champion Chase, it features a past
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| season's most keenly-contested handicap
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| | champion in Baracouda attempting to add a
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| hurdles.
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| | third title at the age of eleven in what
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| Pipe has won the race five times overall
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| | must rank a one of the most open renewals
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| and has landed the prize three times in
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| | in living memory.
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| recent seasons. His mass of entries
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| | But for the foot-and-mouth abandonment of
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| should be studied with the utmost care
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| | 2001, Baracouda would already have three
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| and may well include progressive sorts
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| | Stayers' titles to his name but his task
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| such as Buena Vista, Acambo and Desert
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| | this year is made even harder by his
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| Air.
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| | advancing years and the presence of a
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| The punishing combination of a
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| | strong domestic and Irish challenge from
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| fiercely-run race and a stamina-sapping
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| | Mighty Man, No Refuge, Asian Maze and
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| finish up the demanding Sandown hill has
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| | Golden Cross.
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| often meant that lightly-weighted horses
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| | Friday March 17 is Cheltenham Gold Cup
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| have held an advantage over their
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| | day and after the brilliant dominance of
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| higher-weighted rivals, while waiting
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| | the chasing blue riband by three times
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| tactics have also proved successful for
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| | victor Best Mate, this year's renewal is
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| several of the recent winners. Making all
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| | one of the poorest and also most open in
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| in a race as competitive as this isn't
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| | years and likely to produce a surprise
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| easy.
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| | result in this greatly-anticipated
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| The Irish won this race with shock
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| | championship event.
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| outsider Regency Rake, trained by Arthur
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| | The loss through injury of Kicking King,
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| Moore in 1999, and any runners from
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| | last year's easy winner, has left the
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| across the Irish Sea should be accorded
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| | race wide-open but many backers will be
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| the greatest respect. Jessica
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| | looking to Monkerhostin, runner-up to the
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| Harrington's Studmaster, an easy winner
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| | imperious Kicking King in the 2005 King
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| of his last two races might take in this
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| | George VI Chase, as a possible winner.
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| contest or wait for the County Hurdle at
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| | Seven of the last ten Gold Cup winners
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| the Cheltenham Festival.
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| | ran in the King George, making it a key
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| On the same day at Sandown make a note
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| | trial for future Gold Cup heroes.
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| also of the EBF Novices' Hurdle Final, a
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| | Cheltenham week closes with the Midlands
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| race that often produces a star of the
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| | Grand National day on March 18 and
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| future. Plenty of classy young hurdlers
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| | Ossmoses, a course winner last year, will
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| will have this contest in their sights
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| | be a leading fancy for the four-mile
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| including the Lambourn-trained duo Mr
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| | one-and-a-half furlong prize given his
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| Pointment, and Wogan while the
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| | preference for running over
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| NickGifford team intends to field Dusky
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| | long-distances in the mud. On the same
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| Lord.
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| | card backers should watch out for Sue
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| In recent years the Irish have held the
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| | Smith's tough mare Viciana in the EBF
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| Champion Hurdle on March 14, the opening
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| | Mares' Novices' Chase Final.
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| day of the Cheltenham Festival, in a
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| | March closes with the William Hill
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| vice-like grip, winning five of the last
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| | Lincoln run for the first time at Redcar
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| seven renewals and looking at the
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| | (due to building work at Doncaster) and
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| somewhat weakened field for this year's
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| | the draw is sure to have a big say in the
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| renewal it's hard not to envisage the
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| | outcome of this one-mile handicap, and
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| hurdling crown being whisked away once
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| | the first big prize of the new turf Flat
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| more across the Irish Sea.
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| | season.
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| Reigning title-holders boast a superb
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| | Twelve months ago Newmarket trainer Sir
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| record in the Champion, but recent dual
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| | Michael Stoute won this contest for the
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| winner Hardy Eustace will have to banish
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| | first time with Stream of Gold and bids
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| a bout of the blues on his latest and
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| | to do the same again with the progressive
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| disappointing effort in the AIG Europe
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| | King's Majesty while James Fanshawe will
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| Champion Hurdle at Leopradstown. At the
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| | be looking for easy ground if he's to run
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| age of nine many think his time may have
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| | Cesare, another young and improving
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| passed.
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| | horse.
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