The Grade 3 Coral Cup is a handicap hurdle run over 2 miles 5 furlongs on the old course with 10 hurdles to be jumped. The event was established in 1993, and it has been sponsored by Coral throughout its history. The inaugural winner, Olympian, was given a bonus prize of £50,000 for having won the Imperial Cup the previous weekend. The race was promoted to Grade 3 status in 1999.
There is precious little to go on in terms of trends in previous winners - high weight, low weight, previous runs, Paul Nicholls even won it last year with a French recruit making his debut for the yard (although Aux Ptits Soins was not unfancied at 9/1 and won off a mark of 139). This is a race that big yards like to target and this years initial entry of 154 (!!! the most of any race at this year's festival) horses means there are plenty who will be hoping to get a run.
Top weight this year off a rating of 160 is Different Gravey who bolted up off a mark of 149 at Ascot. This will be his target if they go the handicap route, the other option is World Hurdle with a decision at the last minute. Favourite in many books is Gordon Elliot's Diamond King, but probably only because this has been confirmed as his target and he is sure to get is off 149. Paul Nicholls talks up Politologue and Baoulet Delaroque in his stable tour and the former should get in off 142, but the latter will need a fair few to come out to get in off 140.
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There is precious little to go on in terms of trends in previous winners - high weight, low weight, previous runs, Paul Nicholls even won it last year with a French recruit making his debut for the yard (although Aux Ptits Soins was not unfancied at 9/1 and won off a mark of 139). This is a race that big yards like to target and this years initial entry of 154 (!!! the most of any race at this year's festival) horses means there are plenty who will be hoping to get a run.
Top weight this year off a rating of 160 is Different Gravey who bolted up off a mark of 149 at Ascot. This will be his target if they go the handicap route, the other option is World Hurdle with a decision at the last minute. Favourite in many books is Gordon Elliot's Diamond King, but probably only because this has been confirmed as his target and he is sure to get is off 149. Paul Nicholls talks up Politologue and Baoulet Delaroque in his stable tour and the former should get in off 142, but the latter will need a fair few to come out to get in off 140.
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Entries and weights
. I recall Alan King bemoaning the options available for this one last season, short of top class but too high for handicaps.