Known as the "blue riband" of jumps racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highlight of the festival and is the fourth race on Friday's card. The race is run over a distance of 3 miles 2½ furlongs (5,331 m), and during its running there are 22 fences to be jumped. The race was first run in it's current format on the old course in 1924 and was switched to the new course in 1959. The race was won in 5 consecutive years from 1932-36 by Golden Miller, a record that will surely never be equalled, never mind bettered. There have also been three triple winners in Cottage Rake (1948-50), Arkle (1964-66) and Best Mate (2002-04). But the Gold Cup is about so much more than statistics - it is the stuff of dreams. The mouth-watering clash between Arkle and Mill House in 1964, the drama as the great mare Dawn Run became the first and only horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup, Dessie slogging his way through the mud in 1989 and more recently those titanic tussles between stablemates Kauto Star and Denman. There are several key trials for the race, the majority of which are Grade 1 or Grade 2 races in their own right. These include the Charlie Hall chase at Wetherby, Betfair Chase at Haydock, the Hennessy at Newbury, the King George at Kempton, the Lexus Chase and Irish Hennessy (both at Leopardstown), the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and the Denman Chase at Newbury. To win a Cheltenham Gold Cup demands the perfect combination of speed, stamina and jumping prowess, and the lung-bursting run up the hill at the end of the race can often see the complex of the race change completely. Witness the 2013 renewal where Bobs Worth looked badly outpaced by Long Run and Sir Des Champs coming down the hill after the 3rd last but stayed on relentlesly to the line to win going away. Nicky Henderson's Bobs Worth has headed the ante post lists for the 2014 race ever since his triumph in the 2013 renewal and he clearly loves it around Prestbury Park, being unbeaten in 5 starts including 3 festival victories in the last 3 years (Albert Bartlett, RSA and Gold Cup). At a general 3/1 for the race he offers little value and is unlikely to go off much shorter on the day. His season is likely to start in the Betfair Chase. A standing dish in the race for the last 3 years, stablemate and 2011 winner Long Run has already reappeared in the Charlie Hall and was desperately disappointing in a well beaten 5th position. It will take a leap of faith to imagine him being involved at the finish of the Gold Cup this time around. Willie Mullin's Sir Des Champs is a dual festival winner (Martin Pipe Conditionals Hurdle and the Jewson Novices Chase) and finished second in the race to Bobs Worth in 2013. Some argue that the loss (due to injury) of his regular pilot, Davey Russell, did not help his chances in the 2013 renewal and, at the moment, he looks like being the main challenger to Bobs Worth, along with Silviniaco Conti, who was going well when falling at the 3rd last in 2013. The up-and-coming brigade are healthily represented in the ante post lists at this stage with Bet365's book looking like this as of November 3rd (source - Oddschecker): Bobs Worth 3 Sir Des Champs 5 Silviniaco Conti 9 Dynaste 14 Long Run 14 Cue Card 16 First Lieutenant 16 20/1 bar One horse I will throw up as a nice ante post price is Alan King's Invictus, who is set to reappear in the Hennessy at Newbury later this month on a mark of 145. Not see since February 2012, when he beat Bobs Worth in the Reynoldstown at Ascot, this imposing son of Flemensfirth has been nursed back to health by Alan King and if he has retained his ability he will be a major player in the big staying races this season. 40/1 is freely available about his chances but, if he wins the Hennessy off what looks a very attractive mark, his odds will tumble for the blue riband.
I'm absolutely convinced Silviniaco Conti had winner written all over him til coming down 3 out this year. Of course that doesn't mean he can make up for it next March, but 9/1 is sort of tempting for a long range punt. If he arrives at Prestbury Park with a couple more Gd 1s to his name, he'll be a lot shorter than that. Nothing else makes much appeal at this point - last season's winner is a slow farm animal, and everything else has questions to answer, as they say.
He may not be quite Gold Cup level, hard to know yet, but what I will say from being at Down Royal yesterday is I've rarely seen a horse that jumps like ROLLING ACES can. The ground was pretty soaked by off time yet this fella cleared some of the fences with feet to spare. Reminded me of Denman in many ways. The form of the race looks pretty decent as the second horse (Toner D'Oudaires) had beaten Roi du Mee last time out and that one romped home in the Grade 1 in the race before, (albeit the form of that race as a Grade One does look suspect!) P.S. ROLLING ACES wins the Hennesey.
I'd like to see him give Invictus 8lbs. I though Rocky Creek was supposed to be Nicholls' Hennessy horse?
Don't fall into the trap of hanging on Mr Nicholls every word...Denman 'happy to see him place' Hennesey winner, Sam 'best chance of a festival winner' Winner etc etc! The odds suggest there's little between Rocky Creek and Rolling Aces. Invictus looked very good but I'd be very wary of a horse coming back from injury to win a Hennesey first time out. What's Mr Kings record like in the Hennesey?
He likes to have a runner in it but to be honest he's been throwing horses like Hold On Julio and Blazing Bailey at it - not what you would call top class chasers. He's never won the race, but I'm not overly arsed about that - neither had Williams or Bradstock before Diamon Harry and Carruthers obliged
I remain convinced that Sir Des Champs can win this. I don't think he has finished improving just yet- his performances get better the more he is exposed to top level company and he is a tough genuine stayer. He isn't much of an antepost angle at the moment with the way the prices are but I would not put anyone off chancing a fiver on him right now for the King George...
I can't see SDC turning up for the King George Toppy as Gigginstown basically said a few weeks ago that there going to support Irish races rather than plunge big English races. Seems a very strange attitude to have, especially considering the quantity of animals they have. Mind you, you could be onto something in this case as they may well want to split First Lieutenant and SDC up this year, i.e. First Lieutenant Lexus, SDC King George? Hard to second guess that lot though...
Toppy I know you've been sweet on SDC for a long time - being objective, how much of an effect did the loss of Davy Russell have on his Gold Cup bid last season? I know you were critical of McCoy in the immediate aftermath of the race, saying he should have thrown more coal on the fire than he did - but do you think he can turn it around with Bobs Worth (who I think is a tremendous horse, one of the best Gold Cup winners we've seen, despite Archer's slanderous comment above )?
Smashing question Oddy. As you know I have been fond of Sir Des Champs since his chase debut where he looked a complete natural, and knew he had an engine after his handicap win at the festival in 2011. Sir Des Champs is actually quite a lazy horse- he tends to need stoking up for us to really see what is under the bonnet. This was basically where my comment about McCoy came from. He had just about seen off Long Run and he had got Bobs Worth in trouble and off the bridle about 6 lengths or so- maybe more- up on Bobs Worth. Long Run was being ridden too, and they turned in but McCoy just looked to keep composure and sit tight. Now actually that isn't his fault- his mount was going the best, he had got the ex-Champion covered and Bobs Worth was way back. However, I think his lack of understanding how Sir Des Champs works cost him because he eased up a little rather than look to ride him more aggressively and put daylight between him and the field. Once Bobs Worth got motoring, Sir Des Champs didn't have the momentum and he does try to rally after the last, although granted he does look jelly legged in the final 20 or 30 yards. On a second note, I also felt the Friday rain helped Bobs Worth more than Sir Des Champs, who is better for a sounder surface, and I think that would have helped him leave Bobs Worth too far back for him to land a blow, so I'll be hoping for a drier Spring! [video=youtube;y3q6tWuMokk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3q6tWuMokk[/video] So that is the way I see it, and I think you could probably understand my angle. Equally though mate, you could take a view that Silviniaco Conti was cantering and would have won, or that Bobs Worth simply showed who has the stamina and engine and won fairly and squarely, including somehow avoiding the falling Silviniaco Conti and ended up winning going away. We won't know until they face off again. What I like about Sir Des Champs is that he clearly handles Cheltenham and is a top staying chaser, so I feel any improvement would see him go close. Take absolutely nothing away from Bobs Worth though- he's a fantastic little horse with the form, stats, and Cheltenham performances to back it up, and could prove himself the superior yet again. Silviniaco Conti is a good horse too and deserves a rematch. They are all excellent animals and I hope their other rival- Invictus- gets his chance to race with them also. 4 terrific novices they were and it would be marvellous to see them all line up in the Gold Cup.
Smashing question Oddy. As you know I have been fond of Sir Des Champs since his chase debut where he looked a complete natural, and knew he had an engine after his handicap win at the festival in 2011. Sir Des Champs is actually quite a lazy horse- he tends to need stoking up for us to really see what is under the bonnet. This was basically where my comment about McCoy came from. He had just about seen off Long Run and he had got Bobs Worth in trouble and off the bridle about 6 lengths or so- maybe more- up on Bobs Worth. Long Run was being ridden too, and they turned in but McCoy just looked to keep composure and sit tight. Now actually that isn't his fault- his mount was going the best, he had got the ex-Champion covered and Bobs Worth was way back. However, I think his lack of understanding how Sir Des Champs works cost him because he eased up a little rather than look to ride him more aggressively and put daylight between him and the field. Once Bobs Worth got motoring, Sir Des Champs didn't have the momentum and he does try to rally after the last, although granted he does look jelly legged in the final 20 or 30 yards. On a second note, I also felt the Friday rain helped Bobs Worth more than Sir Des Champs, who is better for a sounder surface, and I think that would have helped him leave Bobs Worth too far back for him to land a blow, so I'll be hoping for a drier Spring! So that is the way I see it, and I think you could probably understand my angle. Equally though mate, you could take a view that Silviniaco Conti was cantering and would have won, or that Bobs Worth simply showed who has the stamina and engine and won fairly and squarely, including somehow avoiding the falling Silviniaco Conti and ended up winning going away. We won't know until they face off again. What I like about Sir Des Champs is that he clearly handles Cheltenham and is a top staying chaser, so I feel any improvement would see him go close. Take absolutely nothing away from Bobs Worth though- he's a fantastic little horse with the form, stats, and Cheltenham performances to back it up, and could prove himself the superior yet again. Silviniaco Conti is a good horse too and deserves a rematch. They are all excellent animals and I hope their other rival- Invictus- gets his chance to race with them also. 4 terrific novices they were and it would be marvellous to see them all line up in the Gold Cup.
Well done to old boy, Oddy, for calling this race the ‘Cheltenham Gold Cup’ in the thread title. As my regular readers are aware it annoys the bloomin' ‘eck out of me when types refer to this race as ‘The Gold Cup’. ‘The Gold Cup’, people, is run at Royal Ascot in June, and is currently residing on the sideboard of The British Queen, God bless her and save her. Sir Des Champs for me, in this one, at this stage. I wasn’t at all impressed by last terms novice chasers (Simonsig apart) and unless a ‘joker’ emerges from the pack can’t see any creditable opponents beyond the same as last year – namely Bobs Worth, Silviniaco and dear old Long Run. To my eye though in ’14 Sir Des Champs may be too good, as he approaches his peak, and 7/1 appears more than fair, to my eye, re his chances.
Sir Des Champs for me in this... I will be there again on Gold Cup day..Was there last year and backed Sir des Champs - was gutted the rain came down (it certanly didnt help) and of course regular pilot not on board. Good ground and Davy Russell on board and Sir des Champs wins it. On the subject of the King George I see no one has mentioned Al Ferof in any threads yet (unless Ive missed it). This horse is class and is apparently going to be the Nicholls horse for Kempton on Boxing Day....Major chance!Anyone know if he's getting a run out before that or going straight to the King George.
I'm a tad late updating this after the Betfair Chase, which threw up many more questions than it answered. Cue Card, the brilliant winner, earns the first words. A fine front-running performance from Colin Tizzard's charge who measured his fences beautifully and stayed on very strongly up the home straight to repel all challengers. He is now a general 3rd fav at between 6/1 and 8/1 for the Blue Riband and will likely go for the King George next. Dynaste ran a stormer on seasonal debut to finish 2nd for David Pipe and has been clipped to around 12/1 for the big one. Impressive as the first 2 were, it is the beaten horses who threw up the most debate. Bobs Worth ran a dismal race, badly outpaced at the end of the back straight he was never able to land a blow as his stamina didn't really come into play on the sharpish track and goodish ground. He has questions to answer now as he was beaten too early and too far. Long Run was equally disappointing and looks Grand National bound, whilst Silviniaco Conti ran well for a long way but couldn't go on with the front 2 - he lives to fight another day. It's already looking like the ground will play an enormous part in the race come March. Soft or worse will play to the strengths of Bobs Worth, anything with good in it will favour Cue Card and Sir Des Champs.
I havnt put any report up from my trip to the Bet Fair last week - (laziness and working too much.!!!), but I have to say that Dynaste looked every bit the winner when parading around before hand, and he must have a say come March if he keeps his form... Gotta agree with you Oddy on Bobs Worth, im not sure what to say on his run... Maybe you can forgive him because it was his first run out, but it wasn't like it was run at a suicidal pace and he fell away from the front. He was never really near the front and fell back quite quickly with a fair bit to go once Cue Card stepped it up at the turn... Long Run looks shot at when he goes, and I don't think the GN would be the answer to him for the future, but where then do you send him...??? Cue Card however was the most impressive in the race and it would be interesting to see if they played the same tactics come the big race next March as they did here... He may take some passing if he gets his head infront and he looked like he could have stepped up another gear come the end, something that only Dynaste could have done of the rest of em... Oh, the wait till March is going to be a long but good one...!!!
Fascinating market this as last year's principals have all come out and blotted their copybook. Cue Card and Dynaste are the 2 who have really come out and wowed this season, and now it's on to Christmas with the King George and Lexus. I wonder how much of a hole that fall today will have put in SDCs preparation? I'm sure they would have wanted him to have got round, had a good blow and got rid of the cobwebs, but falling so early in the race means he's hardly broken sweat. Knowing how meticulously Mullins plans these things I could imagine that's a pretty big setback, especially if the horse has injured himself.
I'm considering the chance that last years CGC has left it's mark on that field. Non have performed since.
