Charities the winners over two-day meeting

Henderson's Argocat tackles Nicholls and French invader in Saturday's Greatwood Gold Cup

THE annual charity weekend at Newbury Racecourse s capped by Saturday’s seven-race card for the Greatwood Charity Day.

Friday sees another seen races on Mencap Charity Day, while Saturday sees £50,0000 contests for the Grade Three StanJames.com Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup (3.25pm) and the final race of the day, the DBS Spring Sales Bumper.

There are 24 entries for the Greatwood Gold Cup, which has been dominated by champion trainer Paul Nicholls since its inception in 2004.

He has seven wins to his credit and this year fields Art Mauresque, a winner at Cheltenham in October and a close sixth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup following month, and novice Sametegal, who was runner-up to More Of That at Cheltenham in December.

Thre will be a French challenge from trainer Emmanuel Clayeux’s Pythagore and Vicomte Du Seuil, the former a multiple winner over fences.

“Pythagore is a very nice horse who has won some important races in France,” said the trainer, “and now we would like to continue the adventure with him in England

“I first went to Newbury last June when I was visiting Lambourn and, as it is quite flat and also left-handed, I think this will suit him well.”

The weights are likely to be headed by Nicky Henderson’s Argocat, a triple Grade Two winner in Ireland while Colin Tizzard has Ultragold waiting to run after an impressive win at Wincanton last month, while David Pipe’s Le Vaticane was third in the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase at Newbury in November.

A charity race will close the day at 5.35 pm and racegoers can learn more about the work at Greatwood, the facility near Marlborough which provides futures for former racehorses and teaches emotional literacy and life skills to children and young people with special educational needs.