The Weekend Winners team are back with a look at the Greatwood Gold Cup as well as providing their best bets for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
Host Kate Tracey is joined by BetVictor’s Sam Boswell and Declan Rix of attheraces.com to select their best bets for this weekend as well as their picks for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival….
At The Races’ Declan Rix on the Greatwood Gold Cup…
“I’m going with the topically-named Heltenham here. He needs soft ground and he needs some pace to run at – I think he’ll get both here. He did run last week at Kempton and he ran very well. There was no pace in the race and he probably travelled a little too strongly and was a little too far out of his ground.
“He then had to switch but what was really interesting about that race was that he drifted from 11/4 to 13/2, suggesting that the Skelton team were maybe eyeing up this race – which is no surprise given the £57,000 prize fund.
“One thing I would say, though, is he does need the pace to settle, but that also puts an extra emphasis on jumping ability. He has struggled jumping in the past but I do think he’s getting better and if Ciaran Gethings can get him into a lovely rhythm early I think he will go very close.”
BetVictor’s Sam Boswell…
“My pin came down much closer to the front of the betting on Grandeur D’Ame, who I think is a really curious runner for Alan King. You’ve got to forgive him unseating at the first last time out, but, prior to that, the fourth in the December Gold Cup looked really solid and I really liked the manner of his win at Wetherby on soft to heavy ground.
“It sounds like the ground is going to be closer to heavy than soft at Newbury so I wanted a horse that will go in the conditions. Alan King seems to be having a mid-season renaissance and the owners of this horse have some nice connections to this track. Everything seems to be nicely aligned and I thought 4/1 was fair, although you might get bigger come the race.”
Host Kate Tracey…
“My main play is Kandoo Kid here. I have to forgive this lad for last time out when he pulled up over three miles, but that was his first go beyond two miles and four. I’m willing to give him another chance back down in distance considering prior to last time out he was so progressive.
“He was second on three occasions to go with the win over course and distance in December in a Class Two handicap chase off an 11lb lower mark than he’s on now. He’s 1lb lower than last time out, back in a handicap and when you look back at his second behind Djelo in the Grade Two novices’ chase at Ascot earlier this season, that was a really likeable run – and he wasn’t helped by going right handed there either.
“Reverting to left handed with track and trip suiting him means I’ll forgive Kandoo Kid.”
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