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Daryl takes a closer look at the 2023 Gold Cup
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Says stop doubting the Galopin monster
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Stattler and Bravemansgame the each-way plays
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 blue-ribboned event run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival over a distance of about 3 miles, 2½ furlongs, and during its running there are 22 fences to be jumped.
Galopin Des Champs should put fear in all
There's only one place to start, and that's with Willie Mullins' unexposed superstar Galopin Des Champs (3.02/1 to back on the Betfair Exchange). He has now long headed the ante-post betting markets for this contest and returned to action with an effortless victory over solid yardstick Fakir D'oudairies at Punchestown.
That contest was over 2½ miles, but it was poetry in motion watching him jump well and glide past his rivals. He had looked sensational, including when he was pulverizing Bob Olinger in the Turners Chase last season before a peculiar fall on the landing side of the final flight.
His limit knows no bounds, but it won't all be plain sailing for him in what is arguably the strongest renewal of a Gold Cup for a generation.
That being said, Galopin Des Champs proved he could get down and dirty when he pulled it out of the fire to win the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival. He momentarily looked in trouble at the final flight, but he powered up the hill in excellent style and took some pulling up.
He has answered every question, and there is not one stick left in the woods to beat him with so stop searching.
Stattler is no bench warmer
Willie Mullins' Stattler (8.07/1 on the Betfair Sportsbook) won the National Hunt Chase over 3m6f last season and quickened away in the style of a useful performer. He has improved leaps and bounce since his disappointing fourth in the 2021 Albert Bartlett, and that's no surprise given his size and stature.
Steeplechasing was always going to be his game.
His narrow defeat to Minella Indo on return was only by the smallest of margins (neck), and the sharp right-handed track, very slow pace of the race, and giving eight pounds to a former Gold Cup winner, mean his effort should be considerably upgraded.
A slow pace didn't help him in the Irish Gold Cup either when he found stablemate Galopin Des Champs too good. Given that one has previously clocked a time quick enough to land a Champion Chase, it was no bad effort from Stattler. The undulations and higher tempo at the festival will surely see another improved effort.
He ticks plenty of boxes. He stays well, he jumps well, he travels strongly and has a turn of foot, and backers won't be worried about what the ground does on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Bravemansgame has every chance of seeing out the trip
Kempton King George winner Bravemansgame 10.09/1 showed a different side to himself when hitting the line hard over 3m in the Christmas blue riband event and on that evidence, he should be taken very seriously for this assignment.
Trainer Paul Nicholls is an outstanding target trainer, and this is now the only race on his mind for his stable star.
Bravemansgame's ability to jump and travel through strongly run races will give him every chance of being in the thick of things at the finish.
The first four fences are where a Gold Cup can be lost, but he is a safe bet to get over those fluently and be in a prominent position. There is no reason why he won't stay this 3m2f distance or handle this stiff track, and he has answered every question put to him thus far.
Should the ground come up really soft, then it would be a concern but with no Brown Advisory Novice Chase winner L'Homme Presse around he leads the British hope and must have a cracking each-way chance.
From Grand National to Gold Cup glory?
The 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats 9.08/1 has thrown his hat into the ring after an electric Aintree performance when scoring in the Many Clouds Chase on his seasonal return in December.
He came home very fast from the third last flight to blitz his rivals excellently, and I immediately thought he must go for the Gold Cup.
A few months down the line and this looks like the best renewal of the main event that I can remember, so he will need to improve again.
History being made is not out of the question, though. Only two horses have managed that feat (Golden Miller and L'Escargot), but this improving eight-year-old should be high on anyone's shortlist.
The slight concern would be his jumping. He got shuffled back at Aintree, having been slow in the air, but he has abundant stamina, and it would be folly to write him off.
A whole different ball game for A Plus Tard
Last year's winner A Plus Tard 9.08/1, hadn't had the best of starts to the season after pulling up at Haydock when set to defend his Betfair Chase and then getting a knock before he was due to run in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Connections now play a catch-up game, but reports are that he is working well.
Still, last year's Gold Cup turned into a sprint, and he possesses a devastating turn of foot which was seen to good effect when scoring by 15 lengths.
This year's contest will be a good old slugfest that will put stamina to the fore, and that could prove his undoing.
He is still a danger to all if turning up on his A-game.
Betfair Chase conquerer Protektorat 16.015/1 hasn't been seen since his devastating display at Haydock, and he will return to this race after an excellent third last year.
Still, he may be best served with deep ground, and Haydock can exaggerate winning distances.
There's no doubt he is an improving horse, but he has already been put in his place by A Plus Tard, and this is far, far stronger than last year's contest.
Best of the rest
Conflated 13.012/1 has had two Savills Chase's fall into his lap, and he could get taken off of his feet early, and the same applies to Franco De Port 101.0100/1, who has been crying out for a strongly run race and may have a wild outside squeak if his jumping holds up.
The Verdict
This is a cracking race, and looking towards the head of the market is wise. I like Stattler, who did remarkably well on seasonal return and has plenty of improvement to come. Bravemansgame surely has an excellent each-way chance given how well he finished out his race at Kempton and the early jumping test will give him pole position. However, seeing Galopin Des Champs in the flesh and the finish at Leopardstown in the Dublin Racing Festival has swayed me into his camp. He is very powerful and there's more to come.
My Gold Cup Prediction -1-2-3
- Galopin Des Champs
- Bravemansgame
- Stattler