Wide Open Gold Cup

This year’s Cheltenham Festival has been robbed of many of its equine stars through injury and loss and no race has been more affected than the Festival showpiece, The Timico Gold Cup.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup along with the Aintree Grand National are the two races that every owner, trainer and jockey dreams of winning and the absence of such stars of the game as Don Cossack (2016 winner), Coneygree (2015), Thistlecrack and Vautour from this year’s line-up has opened the door for many others to have a shot at ‘the big one.’

Champion trainer Willie Mullins has won just about every major race in the National Hunt calendar except the Gold Cup. He has come agonisingly close on several occasions including saddling the runner-up for the last two years Djakadam.

Djakadam was a mere 6-year-old when chasing home Coneygree two years ago and had an interrupted preparation when again filling the bridesmaid berth behind Don Cossack last year.

Mullins and the other connections of Djakadam believe this could be the year the horse finally makes the breakthrough and they could well be right. The one niggling doubt is his ability to see out the final few punishing yards of the race up the famous Cheltenham hill. In each of his two previous attempts his stamina has not quite lived up to challenge but age and experience are now on his side and a bold showing is expected.

Cue Card - Aintree
©Healy Racing PhotosAnother in the line-up with previous Gold Cup experience is Cue Card. The 11-year-old knows this place like the back of his hand having won the Champion bumper over the course as a four-year-old and also landed the Ryanair Chase at the Festival in 2013. Many believe Cue Card would have won the Gold Cup last year had he not fallen three fences from home.

Colin Tizzard, who trains Cue Card (and the injured Thistlecrack), also runs the highly progressive Native River. The seven-year-old has risen through the ranks this season with impressive displays in competitive handicaps before stepping up to Grade 2 level last time. He has stamina in abundance and is a strong contender despite a record of 0-3 over the course.

The Henry de Bromhead trained Cahmapagne West is another improver that has strong claims on the back of an impressive success in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park in January, a race which was previously won by On His Own and Djakadam which both subsequently went close in the Gold Cup.

The classy Outlander also comes into contention following his Grade 1 success in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown. This was his first success at a distance of three miles so there are remains a major question mark about his ability to see out the three miles and two furlongs distance of the Gold Cup.

Likewise the recent Stan James Irish Gold Cup winner Sizing John has questions to answer on the stamina front but connections are confident he will stay.

All in all this year’s renewal looks very hard to call and this is reflected in the current betting market where three horses are vying for favouritism.

Leading bookmaker Paddy Power can’t split the top three at the head of the market. They bet 7/2 Cur Card and both his stablemate Native River and Djakadam.

Sizing John is next in the betting at 9/1 with Outlander available at 10/1 and 16/1 available about Champagne West.

Paddy Power is offering a great concession to all punters betting on Cheltenham today. If your horse finishes second in any of the races broadcast live on ITV - the first 5 races today including the Gold Cup- you get your money back as a free bet. This offer applies to all Paddy Power customers.

Paddy Power also has an enhanced offer on Cue Card to win today’s Gold Cup for anyone opening a New Account today. The bookmaker is offering massive odds of 20/1 about the leading fancy.

The offer is to a maximum stake of €10 and the enhanced winnings will be paid in the form of free bets.