Who wins the Gold Cup? Your Site Racing's Mike Cattermole runs through the 11 runners set to compete in Friday's feature at the Cheltenham Festival.
I am so looking forward to this year's Boodles Gold Cup (4.00), which should be run at a true gallop. You need to stay and have plenty of ability to win Friday's feature, and some will fall short on both counts.
I could certainly see Haiti Couleurs trying to do a Native River by making most. Can anything catch him up the hill? Can Gaelic Warrior last home? Will the real Inothewayurthinkin show up? Is Grey Dawning good enough? Can one of Jango Baie or The Jukebox Man take a big stride forward? Or will there be a shock?
Jockey: Darragh O'Keeffe | Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
This could be the curtain call for this extraordinary horse who appears at the Cheltenham Festival for the seventh time. He is a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, landing the Champion Bumper in 2019, the Ballymore Novices Hurdle the following year and then the Ryanair Chase in 2023, the same race he has been placed in for the last two runnings. He was also third in the 2022 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Sure, he may be past his best, but he was still able to claim his 10th Grade 1 in the Down Royal Champion Chase over three miles last November in great style and was then put by to come into this as a fresh horse. Now he tackles the big one and a new trip for the first time. It is likely to be beyond him but let's hope he comes back unscathed and is set for a long retirement.
Will he be regarded as an all-time great? On ratings, perhaps not, but certainly one of great distinction who promised probably too much when he began his career with 12 straight wins. But who would not always admire and celebrate a 10-time Grade 1 winner?
Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott
This is his third Cheltenham Festival appearance after a third in the 2024 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and a sixth in the Jack Richards last year. He began the season with a Grade 2 win at Down Royal over just short of two and a half miles, confirming that he is a smart chaser.
But this step up in trip is going to stretch him, judged on his fourth in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown when he tried three miles for the first time. He was dropped right out and tried to stay on but even those extreme tactics had him treading water at the end, as he finished a neck behind a below-par Galopin Des Champs and 14 lengths behind Fact To File.
Looks overfaced in many ways here.
Paul Townend | Willie Mullins
A very well-named and extremely talented five-time Grade 1 winner who has shown amazing versatility, trip-wise, in his career. He was an impressive winner of the 3m Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in 2023 and came out the following spring to drop back and win the 2m Arkle Chase here, going one better than in his two previous appearances at the Cheltenham Festival.
Hard to find fault in his last five runs, beating Grey Dawning by 3 lengths in the Aintree Bowl over 3m1f last April, taking the Oaksey Chase with ease at Sandown before reappearing with an epic defeat of stablemate Fact To File in that never-to-be-forgotten John Durkan at Punchestown.
Then he was right in the thick of it in a King George for the ages, beaten two noses by The Jukebox Man and Banbridge, with Jango Baie in fourth. He was no match for Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month but never gave up, albeit looking all out on the run-in.
His tendency to race a bit keenly, although not always, is a factor to consider as he tries the Gold Cup trip for the first time. At the back of the mind, too, is that he is Flat-bred (by the Niarchos family). But he is trained and ridden by two of the very best. I wish him well but have a feeling he may come up a touch short.
Clement Lefebvre | Gabriel Leenders
A rare French challenger in our most prestigious chase, he won the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle here in 2023 and wasn't disgraced when fourth behind Grey Dawning, beaten 16 lengths, last November.
On that evidence, he has much to do here, though was a very creditable third in the Prix la Haye Jousselin (French equivalent of the King George) over just short of three and a half miles last November.
The nine-year-old warmed up with an indifferent run over hurdles at Fontainebleau last month.
Harry Skelton | Dan Skelton
A strong traveller in his races, he put up a career-best to take the Betfair Chase at Haydock last November from course specialist Royal Pagaille, reversing form from the previous year.
He by-passed the King George and was kept by for the Cotswold Chase here in January when a mistake at the second last proved costly as he took third, beaten ¾-length and 4¼ lengths, behind Spillane's Tower and L'Homme Presse, the winner receiving 6lb from the two placed behind him. It wasn't a bad effort, and Dan Skelton was happy enough in the circumstances.
The trainer will not entertain any thought of his grey failing to stay the trip and so perhaps more of a question is his level of talent. As very smart as he is, is he quite good enough? He was beaten three lengths by Gaelic Warrior in the Aintree Bowl last April, remember.
A previous Cheltenham Festival winner, he won the Turners Novices' Chase here two years ago. On the plus side, he arrives here fresh and will be tuned to the minute.
Sean Bowen | Rebecca Curtis
Winner of six of his eight chase starts, he arrives here as an Irish and Welsh National winner, unbeaten in two at Cheltenham, including last year's National Hunt Novice Chase, and with the ability to handle any form of ground. Clearly the stamina box is ticked, in bold, and his style of racing is usually uncomplicated with a sound jumping technique. Expect Sean Bowen to go forward on him to make use of those stamina reserves.
His season has gone well, for the most part very well, excepting the blowout in the Betfair Chase when pulled up after some moderate jumping - most unlike him. Rebecca Curtis assured everybody he would show that to be all wrong, and he duly did the job in style on unusually fast ground in the Welsh National the following month.
Warmed up by dismissing L'Homme Presse in the Denman Chase at Newbury in a professional manner and, although that form needs improving on, there is a chance that there is more to come. Looks sure to run well and a solid each-way shout.
Mark Walsh | Gavin Cromwell
The defending champion who has been a shadow of the horse who ended Galopin Des Champ's reign 12 months ago and yet has been well supported in the market of late to bounce back in his first time cheekpieces. Trouble is, we don't know the way he is thinking, in spite of following exactly the same programme that he did last term.
Like last season, he began by being tailed off in the John Durkan. In the Savills Chase last year, there was an improvement, a 15-length defeat by Galopin, which was reduced to just over 7 lengths in the Irish Gold Cup. This time, he was tailed off in the Savills, and then legless and well behind and weary when falling at the last in the Irish Gold Cup.
In spite of not being the most natural jumper, that was his first fall. On the plus side, he is unbeaten in two here, having also won the 2024 Kim Muir, and the stable has been going largely okay this week with a winner on Wednesday.
Not for me, but, if he does take this again, Gavin Cromwell will be anointed.
Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson
Last year's unlikely Arkle hero (and 2/2 here) bids to make history by following up in the Gold Cup. It has never been done, although rarely attempted. Pendil nearly did it when beaten a short head in the 1973 Gold Cup.
Nicky Henderson has had a very good week, and there is a good chance that this seven-year-old - the youngest in the line-up - still has more to offer. His comeback at Ascot was highly impressive, as he thrashed the smart Gidleigh Park, and he followed that with a close fourth in a vintage King George, where he has just ½-length to make up on The Jukebox Man and Gaelic Warrior.
That was his first start at three miles and now he goes further. But he is uncomplicated, travels well in his races, handles any ground and arrives here fresh and no doubt primed to perfection. Big player, although there's that damning stat!
Charlie Deutsch | Venetia Williams
Good to see Veneta Williams smiling again after Martator's unlikely but welcome success on Wednesday. The season had been a struggle to that point, but L'Homme Presse had still been performing with credit, running a stormer under top-weight in a handicap over this course and distance on his reappearance.
He was then a highly creditable second in the Cotswold Chase, failing by ¾-length to give 6lb to Spillane's Tower, with Grey Dawning (levels) just over 4 lengths behind in third. On some days his jumping can lack fluency, and that was certainly the case when beaten 7 lengths by Haiti Couleurs (receiving 2lb) at Newbury.
Overall, this three-time course winner and two-time Grade 1 hero, including the Brown Advisory here in 2022, has been a great servant but he didn't quite get home at this level when fading into fourth in this two years ago - and he is now two years older.
Harry Cobden | Jimmy Mangan
There is a fairytale to be unlocked here should Jimmy Mangan's Cotswold Chase winner lift the big one. Jimmy may be a former Grand National-winning trainer, but he has never had the ammunition to be in the big league, and this very smart chaser is one of just eight he now looks after in County Cork.
A two-time Grade 1 winner, he had been a little inconsistent until putting himself in the picture here in January when beating L'Homme Presse by ¾-length but in receipt of 6lb. Grey Dawning was behind in third after making an error at the second last.
The trainer thinks there is more to come and there could be, but even then it may not be enough.
Ben Jones | Ben Pauling
Unbeaten in four chase starts and with the promise of more to come, Ben Pauling's star has a major chance here. Stepped forward to land a thrilling renewal of the King George VI Chase at Kempton, looking held until lunging late to deny Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior, with Jango Baie ½-length further back in fourth.
Essentially, it was his stamina that won the day and although we are guessing about whether the trip will suit here, the portents look promising. There is a lot of staying blood in his make-up.
Doubters will point out to his run in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle two years ago when he jumped the last around 4 lengths clear only to get reeled in by Stellar Story on the heavy ground. You would imagine that he will be a stronger horse now and connections might have learned something from that, too. The ground won't be as testing this time, either.
He has proved he handles any sort of going and the yard has been enjoying a best-ever campaign so there is good reason to believe that Harry Redknapp's dream of winning this might well come true.
Only Native River has kept the Gold Cup at home over the past decade, but the Brits must fancy their chances of doing it again in Friday's feature. There are big questions surrounding defending champion Inothewayurthinkin, who seems so out of sorts this term. Gavin Cromwell's charge certainly wouldn't be the first horse to suffer from winning a Gold Cup.
Gaelic Warrior is such a trooper and will do his best as always, but he had a hard race last time and will no doubt be dropped out in order to be given every chance by the excellent Paul Townend. Grey Dawning may just fall a little short, while Haiti Couleurs looks rock solid to at least run a big race.
With further progress to come, Jango Baie should also be bang in the mix, but THE JUKEBOX MAN beat him in the King George and could be even better suited by this greater test of stamina. As a result, Ben Jones's mount looks the one to beat for Ben Pauling and owner Harry Redknapp.
