13:55 Cheltenham

Saturday 16 December 2017

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 13:56 | Winning time: 5m 19.20s

1^st

Guitar Pete

710-5

9/1

T: N G RichardsJ: R D Day (3)

Prominent on outside until 2nd, chased leaders on inside after, lost a little bit of ground 8th, closed 12th, not fluent 3 out, no impression on leader when left closer before 2 out, went 2nd last, led flat, stayed on

2^nd

2 ¾

Clan Des Obeaux

511-12

3/1f

T: P F NichollsJ: H Cobden

Held up towards rear, mistake 2nd, pushed along 4 out, headway after 3 out, no impression on leader when left with every chance before 2 out, led before last, headed flat, no impression towards finish tchd 11/4

3^rd

King's Odyssey

810-11

9/1

T: Evan WilliamsJ: Adam Wedge

Chased leaders, not fluent 5th, no impression on leader when left in lead before 2 out, headed approaching last, stayed on same pace flat op 8/1

4^th

1 ¾

Ballyalton

1011-0

15/2

T: Ian WilliamsJ: T J O'Brien

Chased leaders, dropped to mid-division from 2nd, not fluent 8th or 13th, outpaced after 4 out, closed but no impression on leader when left 5th and a little chance before 2 out, stayed on same pace last op 8/1

5^th

Romain De Senam

511-2

14/1

T: P F NichollsJ: N D Fehily

Held up in rear, not fluent 3rd, mistake 12th, not fluent 4 out, left 6th when hit 2 out, closed when mistake last, no impression, one pace flat tchd 16/1

6^th

Foxtail Hill

811-4

12/1

T: N & W Twiston-DaviesJ: Jamie Bargary (3)

Raced freely, led 1st until 3 out, weakened last tchd 11/1

7^th

4 ½

Splash of Ginge

910-10

11/1

T: N & W Twiston-DaviesJ: Thomas Bellamy

Led until after 1st, chased leaders, pushed along 12th, weakened before 2 out

8^th

Le Prezien

611-9

9/2

T: P F NichollsJ: B J Geraghty

Held up towards rear, headway on outside before 8th, disputing 5th when blundered 3 out, soon weakened op 6/1

9^th

Deauville Dancer

610-8

28/1

T: David DennisJ: Aidan Coleman

Held up towards rear, hit 11th, well beaten from 3 out tchd 25/1 and tchd 33/1

Also Ran

Starchitect

611-5

13/2

T: D PipeJ: T Scudamore

Chased leader from 2nd, led 3 out, soon clear, about 7 lengths ahead when went wrong and pulled up before 2 out op 6/1

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Non-Runners

Long House Hall⁵¹⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 9

T: D Skelton J: Non Runner

Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£10.40Pl:£2.70, £1.40, £3.10EX:£40.60Trifecta:£403.70Tricast:£253.16SF:£36.82Swingers:£11.60, £23.70, £11.00

Forecasts

Clan Des Obeaux (3/1), Le Prezien (9/2), Starchitect (13/2), Ballyalton (15/2), Guitar Pete (9/1), King's Odyssey (9/1), Splash of Ginge (11/1), Foxtail Hill (12/1), Long House Hall (12/1), Romain De Senam (14/1), Deauville Dancer (28/1)

Paul Nicholls has farmed this race recently and he has super claims of a fifth win in nine years with top-weight CLAN DES OBEAUX. He ran Whisper close in a match at Kempton on his reappearance and was a good winner of a graduation chase next time at Newbury. He jumps and travels smoothly and really should relish this next step up the ladder. Splash of Ginge, Starchitect, Le Prezien and Ballyalton filled the first four places in the BetVictor Gold Cup here last month and a bold bid from any of the quartet would come as no shock, while Guitar Pete is forgiven a poor run in the same race and merits a second glance from the foot of the weights. Long House Hall has been absent a long while but his old form puts him in the mix if ready while King's Odyssey took a good step in the right direction last time at Carlisle and may build on it.

Clan Des Obeaux
Ballyalton
Guitar Pete

Previous Winners

2016

Frodon

Weight: 10-10 |Age: 4

J: Sam Twiston-Davies | T: P F Nicholls

14/1

Prize Money

1st: £68,340.002nd: £25,644.003rd: £12,840.004th: £6,396.005th: £3,216.006th: £1,608.00