The past two champion steeplechasers, MCDYNAMO (Dynaformer) and HIRAPOUR
(Ire) (Kahyasi), will face off against six other rivals in Friday’s $150,000
Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings (NSA-G1) at Keeneland. The former, winner of
the 2003 Eclipse award, has taken the past two editions of the Breeders’ Cup
Steeplechase (NSA-G1) and ended a six-race win streak that started in 2002 with
a fourth in the Colonial Cup (NSA-G1). That was his final start as a
seven-year-old, and he’ll try to start a new winning run in Friday’s about 2
1/2-mile race over National Fences.
Hirapour was the winner in the Colonial Cup and that, along with a score in
this event and a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase, was enough
to earn the eight-year-old the title of 2004 champion steeplechaser. He started
off this season with a runner-up effort in the Carolina Cup (NSA-G3) at Camden, filling the
same position he did last year prior to taking the Royal Chase. The winner from
the Carolina Cup, SUR LA TETE (Sky Classic), also returns here and seeks to
dethrone the reigning Eclipse Award winner once again.
The complete field for the Royal Chase, with riders and weights, is
CHEROKEEINTHEHILLS (Cherokee Colony), Tom Foley, 142; TRES TOUCHE (Poles Apart),
David Bentley, 150; Hirapour, Matthew McCarron, 160; MULAHEN (GB) (Robellino),
Robert Massey, 140; Sur la Tete, Christopher Read, 156; McDynamo, Craig
Thornton, 162; IL CAPITANO (GB) (Be My Chief), Danielle Hodsdon, 142; and AIROLO
(Fr) (Exit to Nowhere), Clayton Chipperfield, 140.