This is the big one for Saturday’s card at Ascot, the Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
It is a Grade 3 race over a distance of 2m 7 1/2f around the famous venue and there are 14 declared for this year’s renewal.
Heading up that list of runners is COMMANCHE RED but it looks like a tremendously competitive renewal.
Last year’s winner was VINNDICATION from 2/1 SP (David Bass / K C Bailey) who scored big on his reappearance run.
Ascot Gold Cup Handicap Chase Odds
Whatmore 9/2
Commanche Red 5/1
Black Corton 11/2
Regal Encore 17/2
Mister Malarky 10/1
Adrien Du Pont 9/1
Valtor 9/1
Blaklion 11/1
Flying Angel 14/1
Might Bite 14/1
Townshend 12/1
Django Django 14/1
Walk In The Mill 16/1
Militarian 14/1
* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020)
Horse Racing Betting at William Hill
Table of Contents
- 1 Whatmore the 9/2 FAV for Ascot Gold Cup Handicap Chase
- 2 Commanche Red a big threat in this field
- 3 Superb Black Corton will make his presence felt
- 4 Valtor to enjoy a return to Ascot
- 5 Regal Encore could be better following wind surgery
- 6 Others to note
- 7 Predictions & Tips for Ascot Gold Cup Handicap Chase Racing Odds
- 8 William Hill Free Bet Boosts
Whatmore the 9/2 FAV for Ascot Gold Cup Handicap Chase
The current favourite for this contest is WHATMORE at 9/2* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020). He was last seen at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
On that last run he was fourth on a 2m 4f handicap effort there. He has won four hurdles and a chase from 2m to 2m 5f and is a good versatile horse. Whatmore has to be on the shortlist for this trip.
This is a really, really strong renewal of the Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase. He is going to have to be at his very best.
Commanche Red a big threat in this field
There should be a very strong, bold challenge coming in from COMMANCHE RED on Saturday. In his penultimate race, he made a huge impact at Cheltenham on Boxing Day by claiming a win.
He got the better of SIMPLY THE BETTS in that contest, who then went on to win at the Cheltenham Festival. Commanche Red did fall a little bit short on his last effort though.
He signed off with a third place effort in a Grade 2 novice back at Cheltenham to sign off for last season.
While he remains relatively unexposed in this sphere, he is not without some decent claims.
Commanche Red is a 5/1 contender* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020).
Superb Black Corton will make his presence felt
It was a third place finish for BLACK CORTON in last year’s renewal of this race. So he has that form behind him. He was very good last season, barely putting a foot wrong in some big contests.
Black Corton is 2lb lower than he was for last year’s renewal. He was last seen in February when he was on a 2m trip at Kempton. He found only Mister Malarky too good on the day there.
Considering that Black Corton has had wind surgery during this break, there are big things expected of him.
One thing to consider though is how much weight he is giving to everyone else in the field. But those alone shows what a threat he is.
Black Corton is an 11/2 option for horse racing betting* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020).
Valtor to enjoy a return to Ascot
A very interesting entry into this year’s Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase is VALTOR. He has won two of his three previous trips at Ascot, so likes the track.
He will be coming in at 150, a competitive mark for him and that puts him into the frame.
Trained by Nicky Henderson, Valtor was a runner up on his last race. That was over course and distance here under handicapping terms.
It was only BALLYOPTIC who got the better of him in that February chase action at C&D.
We do have to wonder what kind of threat he will pose back at Ascot, especially after scoring a superb victory here a couple of years ago.
Valtor lines up as a current 9/1 option* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020).
Regal Encore could be better following wind surgery
During his break since the end of last season, REGAL ENCORE has undergone wind surgery. That could eek a little more out of him. The thing that gives him claims is his track record at Ascot.
He has scored three times at course and distance. The most recent one of those was just back in December. He was also the runner up in last year’s renewal of this very fixture as well.
The one question mark over the chances of Regal Encore is his record refreshed. It’s not great. So perhaps punters would have preferred to have seen him have a reappearance run.
Regal Encore is a 17/2 contender* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020).
Others to note
WALK IN THE MILL will need a career best effort in this one. He has done superbly at Aintree before and scored a second success in the Becher Chase there December. It wasn’t bad form from him last season. He is a career high mark for this.
MR MALARKY picked up a win in his penultimate race. That was in a Grade 3 kempton effort when he got the better of Black Corton. That was in a field of 14 as well in February.
He pulled up on his last effort of the previous campaign. He was also in last year’s edition of this fixture but was well held.
MIGHT BITE, the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is back in action for the first time this year. He had a difficult time last year, running nowhere near his Best. He’s an interesting name, but his stablemate Valtor is preferred.
Predictions & Tips for Ascot Gold Cup Handicap Chase Racing Odds
A great contest and we have to go straight to COMMANCHE RED as our pick for the day. The main reason for that is because he gains eight over the other frontrunner in our opinion, BLACK CORTON.
Commanche Red who didn’t put a foot wrong last season, looks good enough to deliver from a 5/1 quote* (betting odds taken from William Hill at 05:13 GMT on Friday, 30th October 2020).
We would expect Black Corton to be there or thereabouts, but we can just see him getting picked off in the contest.
The final selection will be VALTOR who delivered a good effort over course and distance to sign off last season with. He has delivered at the course before and therefore, we have to pull him into the picture.
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