2022 Gold Cup

[Eggs]

Having thought about it, I’ve decided Next Destination wins the Betfair Chase by 5 lengths lads. Gold Cup price be 14s by Sunday morning.

…125-1 with Sky to win both.

[Middle_Of_March]

…125-1 with Sky to win both.

Cheers Eggs. May have a bit of that

[Leman14]

ND is a non-runner lads

[Gloria Victis]

My goodness, that was a classy performance from A Plus

[Atlantic Viking]

Wow! That was a bit good.

[Winging The Last]

Just WOW!!

[Altior]

Race fell apart very quick but that was a bit special alright.

[taylorch1990]

Race may have fell apart but that's the best APT has ever jumped very very impressive.

[FinalFurlong91]

Let's be honest all the other fancied runners didn't run any kind of race and it completely fell apart because of that

He certainly did it well though

[Eggs]

….APT a best price 5-1 after that win.

[Our_Duke]

Yeah clearly impressive. As noted above that was a nothing race though. Shan Blue was going to beat Clondaw Castle and the like similarly to be honest. Clearly has a good chance in the gold cup but betting on horses already beaten in the Gold Cup isn't for me. I suspect APT is a better horse than Minella Indo. Not 100% APT is in love with Cheltenham. Might sound daft but he wasn't great in the Ryanair the year before last and suspect he'd beat Minella Indo at any other course. He did win impressively the year before the Ryanair but that was in a handicap so he was thrown in. Maybe just one of those things, but not a horse I'll be backing.

[jono]

I'm very hopeful A Plus Tard can follow up his second place last season and go one better this season.

I'm not sure the novices hold a strong hand at all now Monkfish is out for the season.

Envoi Allen, I still hold onto the hope that he can fulfil the promise but he needs to first prove he's ok following an injury. Second, improve on his 163 rating. And then three, prove he stays the 3m2 distance.

Chantry House on paper looks just the type to turn into a contender for the race. But i'm yet to be convinced from any of his runs last season. He won two grade ones for virtue of staying up for me.

I don't see anyone else from the Marsh even running in the race. And it was probably one of the worst RSA's for a while, probably 2015 and Don Poli. Eklat de Rire is a free shot at 66/1 with cashout. I'm tempted to add, and I really should for such little risk. The Irish grade 1 3 mile trials can often have big outsiders fill the frame. And if he did that his price plummets. But i'm fairly sure it won't come to anything.

So i'm very much looking at the 1-2 in last seasons race. I'll admit I jumped ship from Minella Indo and onto A Plus Tard as the season progressed. I was delighted to be proved wrong. Minella Indo will on all known evidence meet defeat between now the and festival. But i'm not sure his price will increase considerably. It's well known just how much improvement he shows at the festival, year after year. Whilst I'd love to hold off and back him after a defeat at a bigger price. I think you're probably only talking a couple of points max. The hope is that Bet365 or another go big straight after in a move against cashing out.

Back onto A Plus Tard. He ran a huge race. In the past I was quick to dismiss horses coming back for another shot at the race. I refused to consider Native River in 2018, despite the ground conditions coming into his favour for that sole reason. So since then i've been far more open to the possibility of a horse doing so.

APT, having run for much of his career over 2- 2 1/2miles should be relatively lightly raced in staying chases. A look at the last 8 winners of the race shows:

Minella Indo - Won on his 7th 3m run over fences
Al Boum Photo - 3rd and 5th
Native River - 9th
Sizing John - 2nd
Don Cossack - 9th
Coneygree - 3rd
Lord Windermere - 5th
Bobs Worth - 5th

The Gold Cup was only his 3rd run over 3miles. And with a light campaign of just the Betfair Chase and Savills Chase this season lined up. Would see him line up in the Gold Cup on only his 6th run over 3 miles. The worry that the races may have taken their toll shouldn't be there, on the face of it.

Importantly 7 year olds have performed very well in the race and plenty have gone on to actually improve on:

Al Boum Photo - Won the Gold Cup at 7. Followed the winning again at 8 years old
Native River - 3rd at 7 years old. Won the race as an 8 year old
Sizing John - Won at 7 years old. Didn't get a chance to follow up the year after but followed up by winning the Punchestown Gold Cup plus the following season John Durkan
Sir des Champs - 2nd at 7 years old. Didn't get a chance to follow up the year after but followed up by winning the Punchestown Gold Cup
Minella Rocco - 2nd at 7 years old. Didn't get chance to follow up.
Djakadam - 2nd at 6 and 7 years old. Then 4th at 8 years old.

For me there's every reason to think he'll be one of the main challengers once again come March.
And no major concern that he may have missed his chance in the race. As his age, a career over shorter distances to date and relative unexposed profile over 3 miles still could see him improve through the new season again.

For me there's not much between him and Minella Indo. I think the 4 points difference is slightly too large between the pair.
And I also think the fact Chantry House, the third favourite for the race is ony 4 points bigger is also wrong.

Delighted with that from A Plus Tard
Such a polished round from him.
Travelled through the race with ease.
Perfect round of jumping.

Very confident he’ll go one better this March.

[HoldenTheReins]

Some bookies are 7/2 antepost. Does anyone really see that going off shorter on the day?

[Kevloaf]

Delighted with that from A Plus Tard
Such a polished round from him.
Travelled through the race with ease.
Perfect round of jumping.

Very confident he’ll go one better this March.

Really liked that performance too.

Do you agree with the bookies that he should be favourite now?

[That Horse]

Some bookies are 7/2 antepost. Does anyone really see that going off shorter on the day?

He was 10/3 last year, Al Boum Photo was 9/4 fav. He could go off a bit shorter than 4's but not really worth backing 4 months out from the race now.