The Paddy Power Gold Cup is set to take place at Cheltenham on Saturday. It’s one of the biggest handicaps of the season, with a prize pot of £160,000. This year’s renewal is set be a cracker as two Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winners are likely to line up. We’ve selected one horse who should be a major contender and a 40-1 outsider that can outrun its odds. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Laura Morgan’s charge began last season with a handicap mark of 120. Four wins and a Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 second later, he has catapulted up to a mark of 152. It was a more than satisfactory effort on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham in October, when finishing fourth.
Improvement is expected on his second start and the return to 2m4f will also be in his favour. Despite climbing 32lb up the handicap, you can’t help but feel there’s be more to come.
He was second to Stage Star in the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in March and probably has a bit to find with him, on that evidence. Notlongtillmay has a fitness advantage this time around, which could help in his attempt to turn the tables.
Tom Lacey’s nine-year-old comfortably dispatched a below-par Stage Star in a Grade 2 novice chase at Newbury in November last year. He’s only been seen once over fences since and further progress could be on the cards. A winner over hurdles at Newton Abbot on his seasonal reappearance, he appears to be in decent form. If he can reproduce the form of his Newbury win here, he’s certainly capable of running a much bigger race than this price suggests.
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