The return of the Paddy Power Gold Cup – or the ‘Mackesons for those nostalgia enthusiasts – is a sign that the National Hunt season is reaching full throttle. Staged over 2m4f on the Old Course at Cheltenham, this competitive early season handicap represents a stiff jumping task thus previous Cheltenham form has often held up strongly in recent editions.
With £91,120 on offer for the winner, the contest naturally attracts a deep field littered with a plethora of differing profiles, whether that be last season’s star novices, a seasoned handicapper or an older graded horse who’s lurking on a workable mark, all of which combine to make this an unmissable early season race.
Market Leaders
Jagwar 6/1
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero have risen sharply through the training ranks in the last couple of years, with their flagship horse Iroko starting as the favourite for the Grand National and ran creditably to finish fourth. They may have another chaser to reach similar heights in JAGWAR, who progressed sharply in handicap chases last season with form figures of 11311.
The son of Karaktar was well backed into 3/1F for the Plate Handicap in March, and duly obliged despite a round of indifferent jumping. He travelled into that contest well, kicking to the front off the bend and had he met the last on a better stride he could’ve been clear by several lengths.
If the yard have managed to sharpen up his jumping over the summer, then a revised mark of 148 could still underestimate him. He has the type of profile for a horse who could be competitive in all of these intermediate Premier Handicap chases at Cheltenham, though should he succeed here first time up then Graded contests are certainly not out of the question for this promising six year old.
Caldwell Potter 8/1
Paul Nicholls has won the last two renewals of this contest including with his Turners’ winner Stage Star so despite him suggesting the Betfair Chase is the more likelier of options for CALDWELL POTTER, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him line up here as opposed to the more gruelling contest at Haydock.
The son of Martaline switched hands for an eye-watering £740,000 at the Caldwell Dispersal sale last February, which several horses have failed to match anything near to their sales tag subsequently on the track. Caldwell Potter missed the second half of the season having previously won the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice when with Gordon Elliott, though he did make a winning debut for Ditcheat at Carlisle in December.
However, he took a backward step when beaten thirteen lengths by Jango Baie here next time out in a competitive Novices’ Chase, and he didn’t improve all that much when a four length second to Gidleigh Park in the G2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor. Paul Nicholls was adamant not to lose the faith in him, and Caldwell Potter repaid such belief when romping away with the Jack Richards’ Novices’ Handicap at the Festival after making all in the manner of one thrown in off a mark of 146.
He backed that effort up when winning the G1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase, though that race fell apart and the proximity of the second would suggest it wasn’t the most strongest piece of form. Off 155, he’d potentially be racing off top-weight here but given Nicholls’ lofty aspirations for Caldwell Potter, success wouldn’t be out of the question should he swerve the Betfair Chase for this.
Il Ridoto 8/1
Last year’s winner IL RIDOTO looks a whole lot more certain to be the main Ditcheat representative as he’s only a pound lower than his success in the race last season. Il Ridoto has become a stalwart of these contests, with fourteen of his twenty six races over fences coming under these conditions (split between Old/New course) and he belatedly got off the mark in this race after previously finishing fourth in 2022 and third in 2023. The latter pair of defeats came on seasonal debut, but after a pipe opener at Chepstow last season he made no mistake this time around and comfortably took the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
He was beaten twenty one lengths at Chepstow, but this season he was beaten just the four in the same race and he looks primed to land back-to-back renewals.
The Jukebox Man 10/1
THE JUKEBOX MAN is another whose participation isn’t guaranteed with Ben Pauling toying between here and the 1965 Chase, but should this former promising novice from last season return here then he will pose potentially the biggest threat of all. With career form figures of 1211132211, the natural talent of this Ask gelding is undeniable and we’re still perhaps only scratching the surface with him.
He was third in the Challow over hurdles and agonisingly got collared in the 2024 Albert Bartlett before finishing second in the Sefton. Chasing was clearly his game though, as he made a successful chase debut in the John Francombe at Newbury before taking the Kauto Star Novices’ in a seriously smart manner. He was foot perfect throughout there, though injury sadly put him away for the remainder of the season.
Graded chases will naturally be on the agenda this season, but a mark of 151 looks workable in this company and if lining up on the day he may be tough to collar if he’s overcome those issues.
Thecompanysergeant 10/1
The Paddy Power Gold Cup is a race that’s eluded the Irish of late, but like the rest of the National Hunt season it’s only a matter of time before the pendulum swings in their favour and Gavin Cromwell’s THECOMPANYSERGEANT may be the horse to capture it.
After qualifying for handicap chases last summer, connections preserved his mark throughout the season for the Plate Handicap and he was another well backed, though failed to match the finishing kick of Jagwar. He moved through the race in the manner of one well handicapper, and he’s only a pound higher than that defeat which gives him a 7lbs swing with the current ante-post favourite in Jagwar.
Unlike that one, Thecompanysergeant has the benefit of a run under him this season when a distant sixth in the Kerry National, but three miles may have stretched him as it did in the Munster National and he looks set to run a big race back here.
Outsiders To Consider
Conyers Hill 16/1
Grand Annual sixth CONYERS HILL shaped as if rushed off his feet over two miles here last season, but it was still a credible effort to be beaten eleven lengths and he backed that effort up with a second in listed company at Fairyhouse.
He’s another with a recent run under his belt after a staying on second at Limerick earlier this month, where he was given far too much to do in rear. That was his first time since 2023 to run beyond 2m1f, and he shaped as if this trip could bring out further improvement and they likely would’ve had one eye on this contest throughout.
Riskintheground 14/1
The Skeltons have surprisingly yet to win this contest given the early season prize money on offer, with the likes of Midnight River, Protektorat and Spiritofthegames all coming up just short in recent years.
If the ground was to come up on the better side, then it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see RISKINTHEGROUND belatedly get them off the mark here. The Presenting gelding was successfully campaigned in the summer jumps last season, winning a Hereford Handicap Chase off 112 before peaking at a mark of 133 after a two length third at the October Meeting. Despite such a long seasons, he was still able to land two more pots for Dan Skelton on his quest to becoming Champion Trainer when taking a 26k contest at Ayr and the 40k Silver Trophy here.
It was no surprise to see him given the summer off bar his four length sixth in the Summer Plate, but it was a surprise to see him beat Blueing d’Oroux at Newton Abbott earlier this month despite being 24lbs wrong at the weights with him, even if it was an underwhelming chase debut from the second.
He’s clearly more forward than most of the yards are this time of year, but that suggests he’s a strong chance in this contest particularly given his course form.
Verdict
For many of these particularly to the fore of the market, this contest may be a sighter for bigger targets later in the season but the same logic cannot be applied to IL RIDOTO, as this quite literally is his ‘Gold Cup’. Since joining Paul Nicholls, his second time out record after a break reads 13121 with the latter coming in this contest (despite 3lbs out of the weights) last season and given he proved on seasonal debut he’s still in good knick, it’s hard to envisage there will be any more primed for this contest than Il Ridoto so while he may lack the class of some, he’ll make up for that in fitness and a proven liking for conditions.
Thecompanysergeant can follow the selection home as he’s another whose race fitness will be of an advantage, and should he return to the form of his Plate second then he should give a solid account of himself.
Should Jagwar participate then it would be tough to see him out of the first three, but it’s worth noting he improved as the season went on last year as he only just beat Half Shot half a length on seasonal debut, albeit he shaped stronger than the finishing gap suggested. He’s likely to have bigger targets ahead, although if he does just fail to win this on account of match practice then it could be full steam ahead for the November Gold Cup.
Paddy Power Gold Cup 1-2-3
- Il Ridoto
- Thecompanysergeant
- Jagwar
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