Some of the top trainers in National Hunt racing are ready to do battle for the jewel in the Huntingdon Racecourse crown.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls could make a three-pronged assault on the Betfred Peterborough Chase this Sunday – a Grade 2 race over two-and-a-half miles which boasts prize money of £65,000.
Nicholls has entered former Cheltenham Festival winner Dodging Bullets, Art Maresque and Vibrato Valtat as he bids to land the prize for the second time after Le Roi Miguel triumphed in 2004.
Nicholls looks set to face stiff competition with other big names also entering horses.
Nicky Henderson, who triumphed in 2013, could run Jossies Hill and Volnay De Thaix, Philip Hobbs - winner of two of the last three runnings of the race - has Royal Regatta as his 2016 contendar and Jonjo O’Neil has pencilled in the highly-regarded More Of That.
Last year’s winning trainer, Dan Skelton, is also likely to be represented again. The man who sent out Al Ferof to triumph 12 months ago is eyeing a tasty success with Pain Au Chocolat.
Former Grade 1 winner God’s Own (trained by Tom George), Ar Mad (Gary Moore), Tea For Two (Nick Williams) and Ratify (Dai Burchell) make up the dozen entries. George and Williams have both sent out the winner of the race in the past.
It’s a potentially stellar turnout which has thrilled Huntingdon Racecourse general manager Liam Johnson.
He said: “Betfred Peterborough Chase day is our most high profile and prestigious fixture of the year.
“The early indications from the entries are that we are going to have a cracking field of runners for the big race.”
The Betfred Peterborough Chase goes off at 2pm and is the main feature of a seven-race card which also includes a Listed bumper an hour later.
The action gets under way at 12.30pm and as always at Huntingdon, anyone under the age of 18 receives free admission when accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets for the main enclosure - starting from £18 in advance and £20 on the day - are on sale through http://huntingdon.thejockeyclub.co.uk or by calling the track’s hotline on 0844 579 3007.
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