It’s the Open meeting at Cheltenham this weekend featuring two big betting races in The Paddy Power Gold Cup (Saturday) and The Greatwood Hurdle (Sunday).
The Paddy Power Gold Cup looks wide open with bookmakers going 7-1 the field. That brings in festival winner Present View who showed his well-being with a fine run in a hurdle race last month. A mistake at the last cost him victory that day but connections were more concerned with an injury picked up in the process. Fortunately it turned out to be no more than skin deep and he is reported back in great form ahead of Saturday’s race.
Last year’s first and second, John’s Spirit and Colour Squadron, return to do battle once again. There is no doubt that the runner-up was unlucky last year when finishing fast to be beaten only three-quarters of a length. He continued to run well in subsequent races but has not managed to get his head in front since 2011. That is hardly a great recommendation but I felt that he was very unlucky not to win at Newton Abbot last time out.
Tom O’Brien was a late replacement for Tony McCoy and decided to let Colour Squadron kick on a long way from home. He should have beaten Wonderful Charm at the weights but began to tie up in the closing stages and was pegged back on the run-in. I feel that he is good value at 12-1 for another big run in this race. He is 4lbs better off with last year’s winner Johns Spirit who recently won in good style. You have to respect Jonjo O’Neill’s horse but he is 17lbs higher than a year ago.
Oscar Whisky has won six times at Cheltenham in his career, all at or around this distance. He fell at the first fence at the festival and was beaten by Uxizandre at Aintree but is a classy horse and should go well. You just wonder whether he stayed over hurdles a little too long to fulfil his potential over fences and it would be a great effort to win this first time out.
Easter Meteor fell two out in this race last year but I’m not convinced that he was travelling well enough to trouble the first two. He is now with David Pipe but has been put up 8lbs since so is not exactly a dark horse. Buywise was let down by his jumping when fifth to Present View here in March but put in a clear round to slam Astracad by nine lengths next time. He defied a 6lbs rise at Ludlow but is up a further 6lbs on Saturday.
Colour Squadron @14-1 888Sport, Betway
¼ odds, 1,2,3,4
