‘If he goes off favourite, it will be warranted’ – December Gold Cup ante-post tip

The Cheltenham December Gold Cup is a race to savour this weekend and as ever, we will have ante-post tips for the race in question. You will find all of our tips for Cheltenham Racecourse on the website for the weekend, and we will also have tips for all of the ITV Racing action. Let’s move on to our tips for the big race at the weekend.

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December Gold Cup Tips

He may be a short price, but it’s very difficult to see past the chances of Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock. Joint owners Max McNeill and Ian Dale took a gamble in buying this lad and this has always been the main target this season.

Generally a 7-2 chance for the £130,000 Premier Handicap chase, the son of Shirocco has been a great servant to connections already, winning a bumper, four races over hurdles, and three times over fences.

Despite a few jumping errors in the race, he really impressed late on when getting the better of Mahler Mission in the Listed Intermediate Chase at Carlisle last month, and a mark of 146 could still prove to be rather lenient.

Thunder Rock bolted up at Ascot in November 2022 from a mark of 142 so he is only 4lb higher now, and he rounded off last season with a second to Datsalrightgino in a Grade 2 at Ayr, a horse who since won the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.

Olly Murphy’s charge ticks so many boxes here that it’s difficult enough to back against him. He hit the line full of running at Carlisle and has run well at Cheltenham when third to The Real Whacker here in January.

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.

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