WITH the start of the Cheltenham Festival a little over a month away, punters will be hoping for some clues in an enticing looking card at Exeter this weekend.
The Bathwick Tyres Super Sunday fixture has some cracking prospects among its entries.
The Philip Hobbs-trained eight-year-old Fingal Bay, a Grade One winner, could make his reappearance in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle. He holds an entry in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Festival.
He is one of 28 entries for Sunday's 2m7f contest with others including David Pipe's progressive novice Heath Hunter who has been beaten just once in five outings.
Pipe has also entered recent Leicester winner Edmund Kean in the Bathwick Tyres Taunton Graduation Chase.
Fourteen entries in the Bathwick Tyres Bridgwater Novices' Chase include Hobbs' Colour Squadron, third in Cheltenham's December Gold Cup.
Hobbs has also entered Exeter maiden hurdle winner Royal Player in the Bathwick Tyres "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle. Graham and Diana Whateley's five-year-old made all in an impressive rules debut at the course last month and holds an entry in the Neptune Investment Management Novice Hurdle at the Festival.
Gone Too Far, who races in the colours of JP McManus, is another entry. The lightly raced six-year-old finished second in a 16-runner bumper at Newbury in November, 2012, won his next start at Kempton six months later and followed up with a win over hurdles at Wetherby later that year. His latest outing resulted in an odds on defeat at Warwick.
General manager Tim Darby said: "We are very pleased with the entries and hope that the meeting will prove informative for those wanting cues to the Cheltenham Festival. This Sunday meeting is always immensely popular, not least because racegoers will see some real stars in action."
In addition to the action, the 2008 Grand National winner Comply or Die is the guest racehorse on the day.
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