Greatwood Gold Cup Tips & Betting Preview

Paul Nicholls has won the Greatwood Gold Cup seven times in the last ten years so looks a good place to start and as usual has a strong looking hand at this early stage. The antepost favourite is indeed trained by the ten-time champion trainer and that horse is Warrior’s Tale (6/1) who was last seen finishing second beaten a head by Wakanda in a thrilling finish to the listed Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster. He jumped nicely that day in a competitive looking race and was only collared right towards the end having looked the winner for most of the race, he has since been raised two pounds by the handicapper but that doesn’t seem overly harsh and he has been purchased by legendary owner Trevor Hemmings who must think he has a race in him off this mark. The Nicholls stable had eight winners on the weekend so the stable is really flying and he must have as good a chance as any here.

Nicholls has four entries at this stage and another fascinating contender is Sametegal (12/1) who won this back in 2016 off a two pound lower mark than he’ll race off this time. He was beaten on his reappearance by Guitar Pete who went on to win the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham and ran a couple of respectable races after that behind Gas Line Boy in the Grand Sefton and Ballyhill in a competitive Cheltenham Grade 3. He was well supported last time out in a strong looking handicap at Sandown but got hampered horribly at the first and never looked to be in a rhythm after that, it is reasonably easy to forgive him that twenty-four length defeat and he has been dropped two pounds for his troubles, he likes it here and won’t be phased by any underfoot conditions so looks to have a real chance.

Remilluc (8/1) is an interesting contender who has been racing over both fences and hurdles this season but put in an eyecatching performance to finish fifth in a red hot Betfair Hurdle last time and had previously accounted for a subsequent winner in the shape of Le Patriote at Cheltenham. He has had just three starts over fences in his career so far and has achieved a mark of 127 which is a massive seventeen pounds below his hurdles rating, he is clearly a better horse over the smaller obstacles but was well supported against none other than major Arkle hope Saint Calvados on his last go over fences and did well to get within nine lengths of what was an unbelievably well handicapped horse who is now over a stone higher in the weights and going to a Grade 1 at the Festival with a live chance. That form is looking more than respectable in hindsight and there’s a chance he could make a mockery of a mark of 127.

Robin Dickin’s Thomas Crapper (12/1) is not an easy one to catch right but was on a going day to put it lightly in this last year and turned it into a procession when strolling right away from a competitive field to win by twenty lengths from Vic De Touzaine in second, he was a warm order for the Brown Advisory Plate following that and ran well to be beaten under eleven lengths by Gold Cup hopeful Road To Respect there, he was going well enough when unseating in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last April and though he was below par when pulled up on his reappearance a couple of weeks ago he has likely been aimed at this. He was only four pounds lower last year and had any amount in hand when crossing the line so this mark doesn’t look unfair and the handicapper may have been overly lenient by dropping him six pounds for his last two runs, he looks set to make a bold bid to defend his crown here.

Kylemore Lough (10/1) was a hot favourite for the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham having ran some admirable races in top class contests last season but made a bad mistake and was pulled up, he never had any real chance of troubling Un De Sceaux in the Clarence House over a trip too short but was unlucky to be gathered in by Casse Tete last time out. In hindsight he was beaten by a horse that was probably very well handicapped but he looked to have the race in safe keeping before the last when nearly ten lengths up, he didn’t look to find a great deal up the run in but had gone much too fast the whole way round and it was a good effort in itself to finish second having expended so much energy setting such a brisk pace, with a more conservative ride he may well have a few pounds in hand on his current mark and looks one to concentrate on in a potentially extremely competitive renewal of the Greatwood Gold Cup.