Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle weights headed by Sceau Royal
Weights are also revealed today for the £80,000 G3 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, the highlight on the third and final day of The November Meeting at Cheltenham, Sunday, 15 November. Sceau Royal (Alan King) heads the weights on 11st 12lb following a cosy success in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on 18 October, in which Ballyandy (11st 11lb, Nigel Twiston-Davies) finished second and Milkwood (Neil Mulholland, 10st 11lb) fourth. This was a fifth start over hurdles for Milkwood, who had previously brushed aside Ballinsker (Evan Williams, 10st 1lb) in an intermediate hurdle at the same track on 1 October.
Trainer Neil Mulholland said: “The Greatwood Hurdle is the plan for Milkwood.“We were pleased with the effort behind Sceau Royal. That was a real test for him stepping up into decent company and he did really well.
“He is only a young horse and is learning all the time. Hopefully, there is more to come.
“We are hopeful he can step up again and I think a big-field handicap at Cheltenham will suit him.”
Sceau Royal’s handler Alan King has three entries in total as he chases a third Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle success since 2017. King’s team also includes last year’s winner Harambe (11st) and Unibet’s 7/1 favourite Edwardstone (10st 13lb), last seen out when sixth in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival™.
Paul Nicholls has landed the spoils three times, most recently with Old Guard in 2015. The Ditcheat handler has classy four-year-olds Solo, Sir Psycho and Thyme White among his six entries.
The five Irish-trained entries include 2019 Galway Hurdle victor Tudor City (11st 3lb), one of two possible runners for trainer Tony Martin, and Wolf Prince (Gavin Cromwell, 10st 11lb), who finished second in the G1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in February.
Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle – Unibet prices: 7/1 Edwardstone; 9/1 Thyme White; 10/1 Main Fact, Sceau Royal; 11/1 Proschema; 12/1 Marie’s Rock, Tegerek, Wolf Prince; 14/1 Cormier, Sebastopol; 16/1 bar
The Unibet Greatwood Hurdle Grade 3, £100,000 total prize fund. Cheltenham, Sunday, 15 November. Two miles and half a furlong (2m 87y). For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after November 1, a winner of a hurdle 5lb. Entries closed October 27, entries revealed October 28 (36 entries). Weights revealed November 4. Six-day confirmation stage November 9, final declarations November 13. Maximum field size 24 runners.
