The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the biggest race of the year and oh boy what a race we should have in store. All the talk has been about Galopin Des Champs but he now has to go and make all the talk worthwhile as he bids to justify favouritism! There could be a few challengers for him to put up with though, but what will those be? Liam and Adrian give their verdicts for the Gold Cup below!
For what it’s worth, Galopin Des Champs is the most likely winner of this race but he’s of no interest at his current price. Minello Indo is a ridiculous price for a horse who has finished first and second in the last two Gold Cups. His win on seasonal debut at Tramore impressed me as the 2m6f trip was inadequate. Admittedly, the same applies to Stattler, who finished second and gave Minello Indo 8lb.
Henry de Bromhead’s charge always saves his best for Cheltenham and with question marks over most of the runners, he looks very solid. The Gold Cup is often won by the horse that can maintain a strong gallop for the longest, rather than the classiest horse in the race. History suggests Minella Indo can do that better than most and he offers the best value at the prices. – Liam Bramall
Galopin Des Champs is a fantastic horse, but he has too many questions to answer yet for me to justify his very short price-tag and I am more than happy to take him on. Henry de Bromhead has had a really tough few months both on a personal level and on the course too, but his horses have really come to life this week and you can be certain that he will have A Plus Tard absolutely spot on for this.
Last year’s runaway winner hasn’t been seen since being pulled up in the Betfair Chase, but if he is anywhere close to his best, I think he will batter Galopin Des Champs, who has question marks surrounding the trip and his jumping at Prestbury Park. – Adrian Wall
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