With the UK horse racing's new National Hunt season just underway, betting tipster The Winning Line looks at the big names expected to be vying for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup...
With the new National Hunt season barely underway it might seem a little premature to be looking ahead to the main event of the campaign, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Imperial Commander takes the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup ahead of DenmanHowever, all roads throughout the jumps season lead to the four day festival in March and, ignoring the Aintree Grand National, what is the biggest race of the calendar. It gets no bigger than the Gold Cup, the highlight of the year for enthusiasts of 'proper' racing.
Nigel Twiston-Davies won the race last year with the 9-year-old Imperial Commander, in doing so ending the winning run of Paul Nicholls. The champion trainer had saddled Kauto Star (2007 & 2009) plus Denman (2008) to success the three previous years and once again, in 2011, will be the man to beat, as he goes for a fifth win in the race (also See More Business 1999).
Who Are The Main Contenders?
Nicholls will surely be bang there once again with Denman and, more likely, Kauto Star. However, trainers like Nicky Henderson, Alan King and Philip Hobbs are all looking for a first win in the Gold Cup. Henderson, in particular, is a real threat with horses like Long Run, Punchestowns and maybe even Burton Port. Can Herietta Knight find another like Best Mate, the three time winner like Arkle before him?
What of Willie Mullins, Henry De Bromhead or any other of the Irish trainers? Mouse Morris was the last trainer from Ireland to win (War Of Attrition 2006) and it's always foolish to under-estimate the chances of horses which come 'over the water' to the Cheltenham Festival.
It's A Long Season... But It'll Go Fast!
The festival (15-18 March 2011) will be here sooner than you think and the main pretenders to the title of 'the best chaser' will see little action between now and then. Just two runs, maybe three.
Expect plenty of support for two-time Gold Cup winner Kauto StarWe should expect to see them compete, at various times, in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury plus Boxing Day's King George VI Chase at Kempton.
During this time the betting markets will change markedly, that's for sure, and long-term antepost betting, especially with the jumps in mind, is fraught with danger. On the flipside, the market is wide open and you can get some very tasty each-way prices about horses which just might be huge value on the day (or at least be traded in advance).
Into this category we'd put Burton Port (25/1), Cooldine (25/1) and Pride Of Dulcote (40/1). All speculative but all capable of getting into the Gold Cup picture over the coming months.
>> Click here for latest Cheltenham Gold Cup odds
What are your thoughts on the big race? Email me with your comments matthew.walton@goldcall.com.
For regular betting advice and tips throughout the 2010-11 National Hunt service see our No.1 racing service The Winning Line.
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