Our Podcast panel with the horses currently topping their shortlists for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.
Ed Chamberlin - Myretown
The day is starting to feel like Hennessy day of old – and the race is like a Hennessy of old on Saturday. We have second season chasers in it, and lots of them. It’s an intriguing contest, hopefully they will be a full field, plenty of places for each-way punters and it will look great in the papers on Saturday.
It’s hard to find the winner but I’ve been going around and around in circles an keep coming back to MYRETOWN. I did an event at the Caledonian Club with Lucinda (Russell) and Peter (Scudamore) recently and their enthusiasm was infectious.
If he’s half as good as they think he is then he’s very well handicapped. I know he’s just about favourite but I think he’ll take a lot of beating.
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Graham Cunningham - The Changing Man
It looks really deep and so many horses who I think could be a bit or quite a bit ahead of their handicap mark are in there. Lucinda Russell thought Myretown was phenomenally well handicapped at Cheltenham and he looked it, absolutely demolishing that field. He’s gone up from 127 to 142 but when you start from such a low base, a big rise like that can be not enough. He’s exciting.
If you pushed me for a small each-way option I think THE CHANGING MAN has potential. I know he has lots and lots of seconds to his name, including behind Myretown at Cheltenham, but he came back with a really good performance at Ascot, travelling beautifully. He’s fit, in form and only gone up a pound. I would put him up at 9/1 as a top four contender in a right, right, deep race.
Ben Linfoot - Hyland & The Doyen Chief
I’ll pick out a couple. HYLAND from towards the top of the market for Nicky Henderson had a tee up run at Cheltenham and dropped a couple of pounds. He looks perfect for the race, especially if the ground stays good to soft.
He has form with loads of these and pulls at the weights with loads of these and looks a well handicapped, second-season chaser. He’s you’re archetypal horse you look for in this race.
I also want to mention THE DOYEN CHIEF for Alan King who won this with Smad Place. I really like this horse and liked his comeback at Bangor when I don’t think he was fit and ran really well to finish second to an unexposed rival of Christian Williams’.
They were miles clear of Richmond Lake for Donald McCain who I’m sure was ready for that race. The Doyen Chief has a fascinating profile, he's run in six chases, all open handicaps, and I like the way he’s progressed from start to start. He’s a prominent racer who jumps well and won’t be lacking for fitness. He’s 16/1 and is more of an each-way option and more will be added to the shortlist.
Billy Nash - Gorgeous Tom
It’s a really strong Irish contingent, the strongest Irish hand for a good while now. The only one jocked up at the moment is Three Card Brag for Gordon Elliott who won at Cheltenham and goes there in good form but he has 11st 10lb which is a big weight to carry.
The same comment applies to Monty’s Star who don’t forget finished fourth in the Gold Cup last season but heads the weights here off a mark of 159 and is going to have to be almost Denman class to defy 12 stone and that rating. I’m not sure he is in that category and has plenty on his plate.
Willie Mullins has earmarked for a while that he has two horses in mind for this in Blizzard Of Oz and O’Moore Park. Both have very obvious claims. The former won on his return at Wexford while O’Moore Park got beat in a beginners chase at Galway and is still a maiden over fences.
But he was beaten by a horse called Oscars Brother who went on to win a Grade Two at Punchestown last weekend. That wasn’t a bad run at all and he has an interesting mark and I can see him running well at a trip he’s unexposed over.
Just looking through the rest, you can make cases for loads of them and while he has plenty of weight on his back, I do like the look of Henry De Bromhead’s GORGEOUS TOM. He’s a horse I’ve had in mind for a race like this for some time and this time last year he went very close to winning the Drinmore over two-and-a-half at Fairyhouse, flying at the finish and would have been in front in another couple of strides.
He ran OK at Cheltenham behind Lecky Watson and I thought his comeback effort at Down Royal behind Firefox was quite encouraging, again over two-and-a-half which is a little short of his optimum.
The handicapper hasn't missed him with a mark of 151 but he’s unexposed over three miles plus, is a very good jumper and will be up with the pace. I’ll be very interested to see who rides him but he’s one I’m looking at for a possible each-way bet.
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