Ga Law Primed For Paddy Power Gold Cup
The Paddy Power Gold Cup is always a cracking contest.
It seems to be attracting better and better horses every season. Paul Nicholls likes to run one of his graded novices from the previous season in this race. This year, Dan Skelton runs Grade 1 Ryanair Chase winner Protekorat! A race to truly enjoy and we take on the top two in the market.
Ga Law has been primed for this race following an excellent second place finish at Chepstow last month. He goes on good ground and his jumping has improved significantly with experience and prominent running tactics. He failed to stay the 3m2f trip in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last season. The dropped him in trip and he won a premier handicap here cosily enough over 2m4.5f on the new course.
The Paddy Power Gold Cup is run on the old course and usually over 2m4f. The BHA website states that it will be run over a longer trip of 2m4.5f this year which is a positive for Ga Law who has galloped up the finishing hill strongly last season. Gavin Sheehan rides and will force the gallop to test the fitness levels of his rivals running without a prep run.
Another cracking Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase. Dan Skelton runs Ryanair Chase winner Protekorat while Paul Nicholls runs Ginny’s Destiny who was runner up in the Grade 1 Turners Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. If Ginny’s Destiny is fit and brings his A-game, he will be difficult to beat. However, it is his stablemate Il Ridoto who offers better value. Paul Nicholls gave him a pipe opener run at Chepstow last month.
Il Ridoto loves it around Cheltenham and was a little unlucky not to win the December Gold Cup last year. He tired after the last that day having been pushed hard up front by Frero Banbou throughout the race. Il Ridoto is two pounds better off at the ratings compared to that December run and has Freddie Gingell claiming 3lbs. A low weight of 10-2 gives him a great chance here even if 3lbs out of the handicap proper.
Ga Law and Il Ridoto offer some value but if forced to pick the likliest winner it would have to be Ginny's Destiny. His run in the Turners Novice Chase last season was excellent even if losing out to Grey Dawning.
Cheltenham 2:20
0.5 point each way Ga Law 5/1 Paddy Power else 9/2 Skybet, both paying 5 places.
0.5 point each way Il Ridoto 17/2 Willam Hill, Ladbrokes & Bet365, 4 places.
Compare Odds at https://www.oddschecker.com/horse-racing
Best of Luck,
Nicky
Past Results
Click to see past Big Saturday Race Preview Tips results
The event was established in 1960, and it was originally sponsored by Mackeson. It was known as the Mackeson Gold Cup until 1995, but since then it has had various sponsors and several title changes. It was backed by Murphy's from 1996, and by Thomas Pink from 2000. The bookmaker Paddy Power began supporting the race in 2003 and their sponsorship continued until the 2015 running. In 2016 the sponsorship was taken over by another bookmaking firm BetVictor. Paddy Power returned for a second period of sponsorship in 2020.
Paddy Power Gold Cup Winners Over The Past 10 years
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer | SP | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Onesmoothoperator | 5 | 9–00 | Ben Robinson | Brian Ellison | 15/2 | 2:47.56 | |
| 2022 | Metier | 6 | 8-10 | Saffie Osborne | Harry Fry | 13/2 | 2:42.20 | |
| 2021 | Farhan | 3 | 8-03 | Hollie Doyle | John Bulter | 9/2F | 2:39.67 | |
| 2020 | On To Victory | 6 | 9-00 | James Doyle | Alan King | 10/1 | 2:36.52 | |
| 2019 | no race | |||||||
| 2018 | Royal Line | 4 | 9-08 | Robert Havlin | John Gosden | 9/1 | 2:40.26 | |
| 2017 | Saunter | 4 | 8-13 | Jim Crowley | Ian Williams | 6/1 | 2:39.54 | |
| 2016 | Prize Money | 3 | 8-10 | George Wood | Saeed bin Suroor | 4/1 | 2:31.42 | |
| 2015 | Litigant | 7 | 9-10 | George Baker | Joseph Tuite | 10/1 | 2:45.07 | |
| 2014 | Open Eagle | 5 | 8-12 | Daniel Tudhope | David O'Meara | 15/2 F | 2:48.22 |
Best of Luck,
Nicky