Next week's feature is the Tripleprint Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

This race over two miles and five furlongs could be a re-run of last month's Murphy's Gold Cup with the first and second that day Cyfor Malta and Simply Dashing among the entries. Tim Easterby's chaser enjoys a 9lb pull in the weights with Martin Pipe's five-year-old for a length defeat.

Last year's winner Senor El Betrutti - a faller in the Murphy's - is not certain to attempt a repeat as his trainer Susan Nock is considering a step up in trip to rebuild the grey's shattered jumping confidence.

Best supporting race on the card is the Bonusprint Bula Hurdle in which several leading Champion Hurdle contenders are set to line up.

Channel 4 Racing will cover the two-day fixture.

Former smart chaser Morceli is expected to reappear after a two-year absence at Doncaster at the weekend, so long as the ground does not dry up too much for Howard Johnson's bold-jumping grey.

Levy Board chairman Robert Hughes will open the new weighing-room before racing at Sedgefield on Tuesday.

Suny Bay has been rerouted from the Coral Rehearsal Chase in favour of a return to Haydock Park.

Simon Sherwood withdrew the dual Grand National runner-up, officially rated Britain's best chaser after his win in last month's Edward Hanmer Chase at Haydock, from today's Chepstow feature yesterday morning.

And he revealed that he will run the nine-year-old in next Saturday's Tommy Whittle Chase before a tilt at Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, if the ground does not turn against him.

"He loves going left handed and I am hopeful that Leopardstown will suit him," the trainer said.

"Before then he runs in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock and if the ground is still soft enough for his liking he will go to Leopardstown."

lNorthern Ireland's racing industry is to receive money from the Irish Republic for the first time in its history. The Irish Horseracing Authority has announced that £132,500 has been earmarked for racing at Ulster's two courses, Down Royal and Downpatrick, and that the cash would help to raise the minimum value of the races at each track.

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