Cheltenham Gold Cup Early Thoughts

So, with just three weeks to go until the start of national hunt racing’s blue riband meeting, plenty will have made their minds up on what they are planning to back. Lots will already be on ante-post too and this last couple of weeks seem to take an eternity if you are on one of the market leaders at double figure odds. For me personally, what can go wrong usually does go wrong when it comes to my ante post betting and I like to leave it as late as possible before parting with my money.

Midnight Jazz is the only horse I have put up so far (Mares’ Hurdle), and my reason for doing so was because I thought she would get better ground than she did last time out and her price would have shortened if she won. As it turned out the ground was very testing and though she ran her usual brave race she was just run out of it in the closing stages. She is widely available at 66/1 after that run and I still believe that she is capable of much better if getting her preferred good ground.
 

I think if Sizing John is 100% he is the horse they all have to beat.

Last year I was extremely sweet on Sizing John for the Gold Cup, and at the beginning of the season I couldn’t see anyone that could beat him. His scorching turn of foot is a potent weapon at the end of such a gruelling race and when he hosed up on his seasonal comeback at Punchestown in December I was sure he would go off a short price favourite for his repeat bid at the festival in March.

However, he ran a very flat race at Leopardstown over the Xmas last time out, beaten over 30L back in 7th. Crucially though, that run came just 18 days after his win at Punchestown and perhaps he had a harder race there than it looked. Harrington’s horses weren’t sparkling at that stage of the season either and for those reasons I think it is prudent to put a line through that tame effort. If he turns up at the festival in tip top shape I believe he is the horse to beat at odds of 7/1.  
 

Definitly Red has emerged as a serious Gold Cup contender

At a bigger price, I think Definitly Red has the credentials to give each way players a serious run for their money. Brian Ellison’s pride and joy has looked imperious in winning heavy ground Grade 2s at Cheltenham and Aintree by a combined distance of 15L on his last two starts and he is obviously getting better with age. The 9yo son of Definite Article is arguably even more at home on nicer ground but he has to put two poor previous festival runs behind him.

In 2015 he was pulled up in the Albert Bartlett and he was going backwards fast in the 4 miler back in 2016. He swerved the festival altogether last year in preparation for a tilt at the Grand National, but he was badly hampered early doors in that race and had no chance after. Maybe Ellison is using this as a prep race for the National, just like Many Clouds did in 2015, but the Cheltenham Gold Cup looks as open a renewal as there has been for years and at odds of 20/1 he is Definitly worth chancing each way.

STEVOS' GOLD CUP SELECTIONS: SIZING JOHN 7/1 WIN; DEFINITLY RED 20/1 E/W.