Oscar Park bids for Cheltenham Festival double

25th February 2008

Oscar Park (9g Oscar-Parkavoureen, by Deep Run), winner of the Pertemps Final at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, will bid for further success at Prestbury Park next month after a 19-length novice chase success at Fontwell on Sunday.

The son of Oscar, who was bred by Mrs B Byrne, is trained by David Arbuthnot for George Ward and he will line up in the G1 Royal & SunAlliance Chase having won two of his three starts over fences.

"He'll go for the SunAlliance, with the grace of God," said Ward. "He's a nice horse, very placid and he keeps learning as he goes along."

Oscar Park is rated a 10/1 chance with totesport to land a second Cheltenham Festival success and the Racing Post feel he has every chance in the G1 event. "It was nigh on impossible to fault his display (at Fontwell)," said the Post’s Lee Mottershead. "In what looks an open year and with his previous winning Cheltenham experience behind him, he is more than worth his place in the (Royal & SunAlliance Chase)."