Harry Fry Hoping For Devine Intervention
Cheltenham is the home of jump racing.
There is no better place to start this new chapter of the Big Saturday Race Preview & Tips column.
The December Gold Cup Premier Handicap Chase has attracted a select field of 11 runners. It's competitve and we welcome those few bookies offering to payout on the first four places.
The ground is unseasonal good at Cheltenham, officially good to soft, good in places.
Such ground is not ideal for market leader Madara who prefers it soft. He might still win, showing improvement for joining the Dan Skelton yard but is very short.
Fugitif would surely prefer softer going which allows him time to come from the back of the pack.
Il Ridoto did us a good favour winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The handicapper has had his say! Off a career high mark of 149, surely, he has it all to do, especially with the inexperienced Olive Nicholls deputising for the injured Freddie Gingell.
We seek value and back the following two selections:
In Excelsis Deo has an excellent chance off a low weight of 10-8. He was unfortunate here in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when in a great position only to unseat Bryan Carver when taking off too early at the fourth last fence. I liked how he travelled much better for his jockey the last day compared to previous runs around Cheltenham.
We all can remember how he powered home from miles off the pace on soft ground here in the Byrne Plate at the Festival. That run proved he stays strongly and is improving as a six-year-old. He showed his class to win easily over course and distance at the April meeting on good ground. If In Excelsis Deo is on the coat tails of the main group turning for home, then we can expect him to go very close as he stays strongly.
Ga Law ran a belter in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when second to the well handicapped Il Ridoto. He meets that winner on better terms this time round and can reverse placings. Ga Law loves it around Cheltenham and is a battler which is just the horse we want on our side up the stiff climb to the finishing line.
This race is run on the more galloping new course which will suit Ga Law as he stays well and is probably best over two- and three-quarter miles. Gavin Sheehan knows the horse well. Stage Star carries top weight which allows GA Law carry 11-8, the same weight he won a similar course and distance premier handicap in January.
Cheltenham 1:50
0.5 point each way In Excelsis Deo 9/1 Paddy Power, Betfred & Bet365, 4 places.
0.5 point each way Ga Law 8/1 Bet365 else 15/2 Betfred & 7/1 Paddy Power & Betfair SB, all paying 4 places.
Best of Luck,
Nicky
Every Big Saturday Race Preview & Tips are published online at https://lp.betalchemist.com/
Following the result of the race, I will make the online post availble to the public. Too late to back the winner or change the result at that time!
Big Saturday Races Past Results
A full listing of all our Big Saturday Feature Race selections and results can be found by clicking the button below.
Usually, there are two selections in the big field handicaps.
View Big Saturday Race Past Results |
Latest Free Tips Winner is Il Ridoto at 10/1
2024 running total +20.65 points profit or +£413 to £10 ew stakes.
Since the Big Saturday Race Preview column began in 2014 the service is showing profits of +167 points
or £3,340 to £10 each way stakes.
The event was first run in 1963. It was originally sponsored by Massey Ferguson and known as the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup. The race continued with this title until 1980, but since then it has had various sponsors and consequently several title changes. The 2005 running was named the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup. This was in memory of Robin Cook (1946–2005), a former Foreign Secretary who was a keen racing enthusiast. Boylesports supported the race from 2006 to 2009 as the Boylesports.com Gold Cup. The 2010 race was run as the Vote A P Gold Cup as part of a successful campaign to encourage racegoers to vote for Tony McCoy in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. In 2011 the racehorse owner Andy Stewart began backing the race to promote the Spinal Research charity, following a spinal injury suffered by his son Paul in 2008. The race was run as the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup in 2011, the Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup in 2012 and was then named the Stewart Family Thank You Gold Cup in 2013. From 2014 to 2020 it was run as the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and in 2021 it was titled the Racing Post Gold Cup. The race has become commonly known in the racing media as the December Gold Cup. and in 2022 Ais took over sponsorship and the word December appeared in the official race title. Nyetimber have sponsored the race since 2023. The race was give Grade 3 status when the National Hunt Pattern was revised in 1989 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2022 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the BHA.
The race is often contested by horses which ran previously in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (also formerly known by other titles). Three have won both races in the same season – Pegwell Bay, Senor El Betrutti and Exotic Dancer.
December Gold Cup Premier Handicap Chase Winners Over The Past 10 years
Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Gemirande | 8 | 10-02 | Charlie Deutsch | Venetia Williams |
2023 | Fugitif | 8 | 11-03 | Gavin Sheehan | Richard Hobson |
no race 2022 [d] | |||||
2021 | Coole Cody | 10 | 10-12 | Adam Wedge | Evan Williams |
2020 | Chatham Street Lad | 8 | 10-10 | Darragh O'Keeffe | Michael Winters |
2019 | Warthog | 7 | 10-03 | David Noonan | David Pipe |
2018 | Frodon | 6 | 11-12 | Bryony Frost | Paul Nicholls |
2017 | Guitar Pete | 7 | 10-02 | Ryan Day | Nicky Richards |
2016 | Frodon | 4 | 10-10 | Sam Twiston-Davies | Paul Nicholls |
2015 | Village Vic | 8 | 10-00 | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs |
2014 | Niceonefrankie | 8 | 11-05 | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams |
Best of Luck,
Nicky