It was a memorable afternoon at Cheltenham on Thursday on what tends to be seen as the weakest card of the meeting, but even the heroics of Frodon and Paisley Park are likely to take second billing behind this afternoon’s Gold Cup when the account of the 2019 Festival is written. A close second perhaps, but it does not matter how many days or races are added to the schedule: the Gold Cup always stands alone as the one we all remember.
Last year’s epic duel between Native River and Might Bite, both of whom are back in the field today, was particularly unforgettable, but it played out on the worst Festival ground for many years and their rivals found it impossible to make ground once Richard Johnson and Nico de Bonville had taken control up front. The conditions will not be so demanding today – the going is current described as good-to-soft – and a lot more of the field are likely to get into the race.
Sixteen are due to go to post in all at 3.30 and the make-up of the race is slightly odd in that the three trainers who have dominated recent Festivals cannot muster a runner at below 10-1 between them.
Presenting Percy, unsighted over fences since winning last year’s RSA, is still just about favourite to follow up for mystery man Pat Kelly – even Davy Russell, Presenting Percy’s jockey, doesn’t know where Kelly lives and hasn’t sat on the horse since he won over hurdles at Gowran Park in January. Clan Des Obeaux, though, is pressing him hard at the top of the market and could yet start favourite to give Paul Nicholls, who has already saddled his first Grade One winners here since 2015 this week, a fifth win in the race.
Willie Mullins, who still has a big hole on his cv where a Gold Cup should be, has four runners this afternoon but all are priced at 11-1 and up, while Gordon Elliott relies on the outsider Shattered Love, last year’s JLT Novice Chase winner. She has had wind surgery since a disappointing run last time out, gets 7lb from the field and should not be dismissed out of hand at around 25-1.
Even a place in the Gold Cup could prove significant in one of the closest races for the trainers’ title for years, which sees Mullins, Elliott and Nicky Henderson all still trading at odds-against. Mullins is the narrow favourite at around 6-4 on Betfair, with Henderson next at 9-4 and Elliott at 5-2.
The head-to-head between Britain and Ireland to finish the week in front is also still up for grabs, with Ireland currently 11-10 in front and even-money favourites on Betfair. Chris Cook’s selections for the final day of the meeting are here, and the action gets underway with the traditional Gold Cup day opener, the Triumph Hurdle, at 1.30.
