The most important race of the entire Cheltenham Festival is the Gold Cup, the feature event on Day 4 and the most valuable.
Every trainer and jockey wants to win it and it’s the ultimate test of both class and staying power.
We’ve had two Grade 1 chases over three miles or further in Britain and Ireland already this season, as well as a recognised trial over shorter. The ante-post market, which can be found on irishracing.com is beginning to take shape and the defending champion remains at the head of the betting.
Now is a good time to take a look at the Gold Cup picture at this stage of the season and assess the chances of some of the big guns.
Is Inothewayurthinkin vulnerable?
Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin pulled off a bit of a shock to get the better of Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup in March. He stayed on powerfully to pull seven lengths clear of Willie Mullins’ two-time winner.
His form going into the race was pretty average and perhaps he’s just a horse who is prepared for one race and one race only, as he was bitterly disappointing in the John Durkan at Punchestown on his seasonal reappearance.
He finished 53 lengths behind the winner and could only manage fifth. Whilst it’s noted that the extended 2m3f trip was inadequate, you would still expect much more from a Gold Cup winner. Other options appeal more with that in mind.
Leading candidates from Ireland
Galopin Des Champs had a setback and is yet to make his reappearance, but he’s expected to return sooner rather than later. Mullins’ stable star lost his crown in March but made no mistake at Punchestown after that and looked a little off in the Gold Cup.
The strapping nine-year-old has everything you would want in a Gold Cup winner and an ante-post price of 6/1 looks like pretty good value.
Stablemate Gaelic Warrior came out on top in a titanic clash with Fact To File in the John Durkan and both horses emerged with credit. JP McManus might want the latter to go for a second Ryanair, so Rich Ricci’s seven-year-old could be the more likely candidate.
Gaelic Warrior came over to Aintree for the Bowl and won it with plenty in hand. He had some difficulties as a younger horse but the penny appears to have dropped.
Envoi Allen has a pretty good course record at Cheltenham and he won the Champion Chase at Down Royal last month.
Connections are sending him straight to Cheltenham for a Gold Cup bid and it’ll be the talented gelding’s last hurrah.
Can Britain come out on top?
The first graded chase of the season for three-milers was Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase and the Venetia Williams-trained Djelo was the victor there.
He has since won a second Peterborough Chase, although he’ll need to improve again in order to become a contender.
Haydock’s Betfair Chase was the first Grade 1 of the season and Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning avenged his defeat at the hands of course specialist Royale Pagaille last season, when comfortably coming out on top this time around.
The eight-year-old grey looks like Britain’s most likely candidate, although the ground is likely to dictate his chances. If it’s too soft, he might struggle, but better ground will see him to best effect.
