Bookmaker increases sponsorship

Bookmaker Paddy Power has increased its sponsorship of the Paddy Power Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival meeting to £105,000, making the chase the most valuable national hunt event in this country.

The race, run over three miles on December 27th, has a 35lb weight range. Closing dates for entries is on November 26th.

Ireland's largest chain of bookmakers, who celebrated the opening of its 105th betting shop earlier this year, sponsored the race for the first time last year with total prizemoney then of £80,000.

Stewart Kenny, managing director, said yesterday: "We decided to mark the opening of our 105th betting shop by putting forward £1,000 in sponsorship for each of our shops and in so doing have made the chase Ireland's richest. "This year there is an extended entry of 22 runners, giving even more trainers a chance to take home the money and of course extending the choice to 20,000 punters who will be there on the day to have a flutter."

Last year's first running was won by the Mouse Morris-trained favourite New Co.

Meanwhile, Oscar Schindler will bypass the Breeders' Cup in favour of a crack at the Japan Cup, according to trainer Kevin Prendergast. "The Breeders' Cup will come too soon for him after the Arc and then the Prix RoyalOak," explained Prendergast yesterday.

"He'll go for the Japan Cup if he gets an invitation and Cash (Asmussen) will ride. He is the highest rated horse in Ireland so I hope he will get an invitation."

Sent off the odds-on favourite for Sunday's Prix Royal-Oak after his fourth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three weeks earlier, Oscar Schindler could finish only third behind compatriot Ebadiyla and Snow Princess.

"He didn't get the trip, he is a mile and a half, mile and five horse. He just didn't get home. There was nothing going better after a mile and five, he just didn't stay," declared the trainer.

"But he couldn't be better now. He is walking the track this morning and I'm very happy with him."

Mark Richards will be on the sidelines for four weeks after smashing several ribs in a fall at Cheltenham yesterday. Richards was injured when Certain Magic crashed at the first flight in the Timeform Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

He was taken to the Cheltenham General Hospital and is being detained overnight for observation.