Paul Nicholls: Ginny's Destiny a lot sharper and better ahead of Paddy Power Gold Cup

• I've done all I can with Ginny's Destiny ahead of PP Gold Cup

• Il Ridoto has a lovely racing weight and has each-way claims

• Fire Flyer has looks fantastic and done some excellent work

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Paul Nicholls Superboost

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls saddles the favourite, Ginny's Destiny, in today's feature race, the Paddy Power Gold Cup at 14:20 and the Betfair Sportsbook have boosted the horse's price to finish in the top four from 8/151.53 to 1/12.00.

Having finished in the first two in all of his last five starts Ginny's Destiny looks to have an excellent chance of going close today, so to take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odds in the below betslip to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

Watch Paul Nicholls Ditcheat Decs...

🗒️ Paul's Ditcheat Decs

It's a case of quality not quantity for Team Ditcheat this weekend at Cheltenham's November meeting with one runner today and four on Saturday.@BetfairBarry gets the latest from @PFNicholls. pic.twitter.com/4R2skvP9pZ

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) November 15, 2024

Saturday

14:20 - Ginny's Destiny

He was new to us last season and never stopped improving, winning three times and ending up with a mark of 155. The plan has always been to target the Paddy Power and my only slight concern is that we couldn't give him a prep run at Newton Abbot because the meeting was abandoned.

While he did need his first run last season I was learning about him then and I'd say he is a lot straighter this time. He's enjoyed an away day, I've done as much as I possibly could do with him at home and he is a lot sharper and better now.

14:20 - Il Ridoto

He's back for more at the track where he seems to excel. He's quite stuffy and needed the run at Chepstow last month which hopefully has put him spot on for Saturday. He's finished in the money in the Paddy Power for the last two years, was then only just beaten in the December Gold Cup and now races off a 6lbs lower mark than 12 months ago. With Freddie Gingell claiming a handy 3 lbs Il Ridoto has a lovely light racing weight. He has a solid each way chance.

14:55 - Emailandy

I was delighted with his third place in the EBF final at Sandown in March which looks a strong piece of form. He stepped up on that when winning at Plumpton next time. Although Emailandy has been in training for four months he is a monster of a horse and whatever he does on Saturday he will need the run to sharpen him up before he goes chasing.

15:30 Fire Flyer

He was down to run at Ascot a fortnight ago before I withdrew him over concerns about the quick ground there. I will be checking conditions at Cheltenham and if there is enough ease he will run. Fire Flyer is one I've always liked and I retain the utmost faith in him even though he was a work in progress last season.

He won twice in the space of five days in February before a breathing problem surfaced which we corrected in the summer. I'd like to think he is up to winning a handicap hurdle over this distance. He looks fantastic, has done some super work and it wouldn't surprise me if he ran very well in this before going chasing.

Timeform Verdict

14:20 - Ginny's Destiny

Ginny's Destiny enjoyed an excellent first campaign over fences last season, winning three times at around two and a half miles at Cheltenham, including once on this Old course.

He had to settle for second when raised in class in the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but he showed high-class form in defeat behind Grey Dawning, making that rival dig deep, before also finishing runner-up in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree.

A BHA mark of 155 looks fair based on his excellent effort in the Turners - he tops Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb - and this sound jumper should launch a bold bid.

Friday

16:00 - Fasol

An attractive type by Galileo he was useful on the flat in France before joining us mid-season last winter and took a while to acclimatise. He ran ok on his debut over hurdles when fourth at Newbury in January and did much better until not quite seeing out the trip over two miles, five furlongs at Kempton in May.

Stamina was also an issue when he ran a blinder in finishing fourth in The Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot. Given that he is rated 100 on the flat I'd like to think he has a decent chance in this handicap over a stiff two miles at Cheltenham off a mark of 108.

Timeform Verdict

Fasol, a smart stayer on the Flat in France, failed to meet expectations when a well-beaten fourth on his hurdling debut and first start for Paul Nicholls at Newbury in January, but he showed improved form when runner-up over a longer trip at Kempton in May.

Fasol, who was last seen finishing an encouraging fourth in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot, is potentially well treated on his handicap hurdle debut and has the Timeform 'p' to show he's a likely improver bearing in mind the level he reached on the Flat.

Wreckless Eric, who came down when going well at Wincanton on his return last month, gets the narrow vote from Timeform's analyst, but Fasol is a player.

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