The Mullins team was back with a bang on day three of The Festival and have 11 runners on the final day, including Djakadam in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Djakadam was second in the Gold Cup last year, ahead of Irish Cavalier and Smad Place, and only found Coneygree too good in 2015. But Cue Card appeared to be going as well as anything 12 months ago when falling at the third last and he has won three Grade 1 races since. I suppose you could argue that Colin Tizzard’s 11-year-old has still truly to prove he stays 3m2f and it’s a very long time since a chaser his age won chasing’s blue riband but nobody would begrudge him a third Festival success, though the form of his stable is a cause for concern.
Paddy Power, however, will lay you 20/1 that Cue Card wins the Gold Cup to a maximum £10 if you are a new customer and you can sign up via our link.
With over 170 betting shops in the Republic of Ireland, Paddy Power is the biggest Irish bookmaker and has been making quite an impression in the UK market too. Paddy Power is known for being very friendly to their punters by offering repeated bonuses and daily money back specials.
They are known for their social media exploits and they like to invite plenty of excitement about their markets and their products. But even though they are quite showy and bold with all of their promotions, they can back it all up with a very strong product platform, one of the best in-play services around and an extensive sports book.
There is a good welcome bonus available too of £30 worth of free bets to enjoy.
Cue Card is a best 9/2 for the Gold Cup with stablemate Native River and Djakadam the current 4/1 joint favourites. Native River won valuable handicaps at Newbury and Chepstow this season before landing the Denman Chase, ahead of Bristol De Mai, last month. He jumps well and stays all day so will be prominent and has improved a lot since beaten by Minella Rocco in the National Hunt Chase at last year’s Festival, though whether that will be enough to keep his winning run going is anybody’s guess.
The field will almost certainly be reduced to 13 as Empire Of Dirt ran in yesterday’s Ryanair and we’ll take a chance on his Leopardstown conqueror SIZING JOHN. The seven-year-old is probably too big at the general 9/1 given he’s the one with real untapped potential in the race. There is a question mark over his stamina but the form on his Thurles win earlier this year was franked when second Sub Lieutenant ran second in the Ryanair.
Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup Current Best Odds
Djakadam and Native River (4/1), Cue Card (9/2), Sizing John (9/1), Outlander (11/1), More Of That (14/1), Empire Of Dirt (16/1), Champagne West (18/1), Minella Rocco (20/1), Bristol De Mai (25/1), Smad Place (50/1), Saphir Du Rheu, Tea For Two and Irish Cavalier (66/1)
THE WORLDS END was very impressive over 3m at Haydock last time, giving 7lb to a good yardstick whose form ties in with several of his rivals in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Tom George’s improving young stayer makes plenty of appeal at the general 10/1.
NO COMMENT beat last Saturday’s Grade 3 Sandown winner Minella Awards at Plumpton in January when conceding 10lb. He runs in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle rather than the Coral Cup and the hint should be taken – he is a stand-out 13/2 with Betway.
