It’s the question on everyone’s lips and the line up for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup makes that an even more difficult question to answer, because there is a deep field running. The top four are practically inseparable and there are question marks over all of them as well, making things particularly interesting for the latest renewal of the Blue Riband race of chasing. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a test of endurance, about the grit to get up that hill to the finish at Prestbury Park. Who has the pace and stamina to do it this time around?
Last year outsider novice Coneygree took a shock win, the first novice for forty years to land the top prize in chasing. However, it’s reasonable enough to avoid the long shots for the renewal, because that was a once in a blue moon type of result. The field is packed for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2016 with the top four running from a price of 3/1 through to 9/2. That’s four strong contenders then which are being headed up by Don Cossack who is a 3/1 favourite to go out and and the big impression at Prestbury Park.
But there are doubts about him because he has failed to impressive in his past two runs at Cheltenham, which isn’t a great indicator. He is a great stayer, world class in that department and last season at the Cheltenham Festival his lack of speed was shown up in the Ryanair and in his previous trip to the Gloucestershire track, he took a fall in the RSA when he was travelling along nicely. While he has that world class touch about him, he’s still not the most conceiving, certainly not at the shortest price in the field.
BET365 offers 4/1 Winner FREE BET for Cheltenham Gold Cup!
Who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2016?
We are going to put our eggs in the basket of Don Poli, trained by Willie Mullins. The big factor here is that it probably isn’t going to matter too much what kind of race it is on Friday. If it is a slower slog fest then Don Poli is fine with the stamina showing and if it is quicker, than he has the pace to get up there at the end, based on his endurance. He has won twice up the Cheltenham hill in his career and that could be a telling factor on the day. What also may help him along is the presence of Cue Card and Smad Place.
Cue Card and Smad Place are front runners who like to get out and set their own pace in the race. So if one, or both of them start picking up the pace in the race, then that is something which would play into the wheelhouse of Don Poli. He can travel well at the quicker pace and still have enough in the tank to get up the hill to the finish where you have question marks about Cue Card and Djakadam being able to pull that out of the bag.
You only have to look back to the RSA Chase last year to see the kind of speed that Don Poli has in him. He even surprised jockey Bryan Cooper. The one hesitation about Don Poli is that he can appear lazy and it often looks like he has something in reserve and something is holding him back in unleashing his full speed. But the Cheltenham Gold Cup looks perfect for him at the moment and it could be a trip where he absolutely flourishes.
William Hill guarantees best price for Cheltenham festival days!
At a price of 9/2 out at Paddy Power, there is value all over Don Poli in Cheltenham Gold Cup 2016 betting. Djakadam doesn’t really have the form or this history to suggest that he should be at a shorter price than Don Poli that’s for sure and it could come down to a battle of stamina up the hill between Don Poli and the staying power of Don Cossack and that would be a brilliant finish. The quicker the pace in the race, the better off Don Poli is likely to be.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2016 Odds
Don Cossack 3/1, Djakadam 7/2, Cue Card 4/1, Don Poli 9/2, Smad Place 10/1, Road To Riches, Carlingford Lough 25/1, bar 66/1
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2016 Prediction
It is Don Poli all the way for us in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting. A little understated he has been in the build up, but if he doesn’t get lazy and actually delivers the unbridled pace that he has, then he take the win here in a field which is wide open. Watch if Cue Card gets out in front, because he could pull Don Poli to victory in the race.
Online betting site Paddy Power have insurance running on the Cheltenham Festival all week long. Get a free bet in any race if your selection finishes second! If that happens then the bookmaker will refund your lists stake as a free bet up to the maximum value of a £25 free bet! Just go an open an account with them, earn up to £30 worth of free bets in doing so and enjoy the great insurance on your Cheltenham Festival 2016 betting!
