Cheltenham Gold Cup

The big race today on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival is in fact the best race of the year for serious N.H. fans - the Gold Cup over 3 1/4 miles at 16.20 CET. This has attracted its biggest field for many years with doubts over many of the leading contenders and a new dimension now added by the rain, which means that the ground will now be much softer than expected.

The first five from last year´s turbulent race reappear. Lord Windermere (Jim Culloty/ Davy Russell) was the narrow winner, followed by On His Own (Willie and Paddy Mullins), The Giant Bolster (David Bridgwater/ Tom Scudamore), Silviniaco Conti (Paul Nicholls/ Noel Fehily) and the 2013 winner Bobsworth (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty). Had the rain stayed away we would have fancied Lord Windermere to follow up, but now we are not so sure.

Silviniaco Conti was favourite last year and looks like starting favourite again, and if the race were run at Kempton we are sure that he would win by miles. He is the best horse in the field but the fact remains that he has always underperformed at Cheltenham and we cannot forget the way he weakened and wandered after the last a year ago.

The Giant Bolster, who is German-bred, has finished in the first four here three times running and we can ignore all his piueces of form sinc last year, as he simply runs much better in this race than anywhere else. He is probably the best outsider, but what we are looking for is a Young up-and-coming type, and the three that fill the bill are Coneygree (Mark Bradstock/ Nico de Boinville), Djakadam (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) and Many Clouds (Oliver Sherwood/ Leighton Aspell). The last two have won big handicaps this season and are much improved, but we have been really impressed by Coneygree´s last two runs and make him the selection.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Peace And Co - Hargam - Beltor
2. Race: Quick Jack - The Game Changer - Sempre Medici
3. Race: Black Hercules - No More Heroes - Value At Risk
4. Race: Silviniaco Conti - Djakadam - Holywell
5. Race: Paint The Clouds - On The Fringe - Current Event
6. Race: Roi Des Francs - Le Mercurey - Mckinley
7. Race: Ned Buntline - Eastlake - Blood Cotil