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First of all, a big thumbs up to the sponsors of Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup for their offer to refund all losing bets should any of Paul Nicholls‘ three runners in the race, Chapoturgeon, Poquelin or Tatenen win the national hunt season’s first big handicap. Considering that the three are generally a best-priced 8-1, 14-1 and 8-1 respectively, that appears a generous offer – or does the Dublin-based bookmaker know something we don’t? You’d certainly have to question whether any of the aforementioned trio would really be happy on heavy ground (it threw it down in the Cheltenham area for most of Friday) and most of their best form is over 2m (Chaptoturgeon and Poquelin have won over course & distance but that was on quicker going and both are appreciably higher in the weights now). So it’s to understand why Paddy Power have taken the view that the three are beatable, and it’s also easy to see why the same firm only have Ballyfitz at 11-2 for the big race. The gelding may be a nine-year-old but has only had 15 career starts and his record at Cheltenham is second to none. Not only that, Nigel Twiston-Davies‘ charge has won on his reappearance in three of the last four seasons so the fact that he’s been off the track since pulling up in the RSA Chase at The Festival here in March is very much a positive on this occasion. There has been a flood of money for Ballyfitz since the heavens began to open and this looks like one of those occasions when bandwagon-jumping is the sensible thing to do. If the gamble continues, Coral and William Hill’s 13-2 may look a big price come off-time. Which is all rather a shame because I thought I’d sorted out an over-priced outsider for this tough handicap. Ferdy Murphy’s yard hasn’t really hit its stride yet, and the two runs so far this term of Three Mirrors have reflected that. But Aidan Coleman’s mount finished fifth in this last year off a nine pounds higher mark and  he could well run into a place this time if, as expected, the rain-softened surface proves too much for better-fancied rivals up the Cheltenham hill. Ladbrokes are offering 50-1 about Three Mirrors so I’ll be having a little on each-way as a saver.