NOVEMBER GOLD CUP
Saturday 18th November, 2:20pm
Stage Star @ 9/2
The Real Whacker @ 7/1
Notlongtillmay @ 7/1
Unexpected Party @ 7/1
Il Ridoto @ 15/2
Fugitif @ 9/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
RACE (Saturday)
In its various guises Cheltenham’s valuable, two-and-a-half-mile November Meeting centrepiece – to some still ‘the Mackeson’ as it originally was, or even ‘the Thomas Pink’, another sponsor – has long been high amongst jump racing’s early season features, one that has regularly seen widespread gambles won and lost. Of course the standard of runner some years is greater than others, but in 2023 it looks to be all about quality with Festival winners and some of their vanquished scheduled to line up.
MARKET
Likeable unbeaten chaser – 3/3 at Cheltenham – The Real Whacker formed such a memorable double act with Sam Twiston-Davies when successful on the Cotswold course in January and March, and he has an eye-catching piece of form, albeit over a bit further, having beaten Gerri Colombe by a couple of nostrils in the Festival’s Brown Advisory.
Fellow front-runner Stage Star also revels in the Cheltenham challenge and beat Notlongtilmay in the Turners a day later – the former’s stable is hitting its prolific best, while the latter ran with credit when fourth over course and distance in October. As well as Stage Star, Paul Nicholls runs last year’s fourth-home Il Ridito and, with teenaged star Freddie Gingell taking seven pounds off the weight, he’s on a lower weight level then twelve months ago, and he takes on regular rival Fugitif once again.
Unexpected Party – 5th in the Turners – made a winning return at Chepstow, beating Knappers Hill, which markedly boosted the form at Wincanton. Trainer Sam Thomas (Angels Breath) and the Venetia Williams team – with which Thomas originally shone as a jockey – (Easy As That) plus Nigel Twiston-Davies (Torn And Frayed) have all been in fine form and the horses bring definite credentials, while it’s striking that Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell, who was in mustard form at the last meeting, once again travels Final Orders to a big fixture in Britain.
RACE (Sunday)
In the Greatwood Hurdle (3-30), theoretically we should be decidedly dubious about a well-touted runner racing over hurdles for only the fifth time, especially as it ran out last time, but, with a featherweight on his back, Onlyamatteroftime debuts for Willie Mullins – he faces some quality opponents but is conceded lumps of weight by all of them; the Schoer Chase (2-55) has been a race to savour so many times – think Well Chief, Sprinter Sacre, Put The Kettle On and Nube Negra – and 2023 won’t let anyone down judged on the growing hype around Jonbon (very strong in the pre-race betting) versus Edwardstone and the rest.
CORNELIUS’ QUARTET
Burdett Road (12-35) is the juvenile Harry Cobden rated the “perfect triumph Hurdle type” when they won at Huntingdon, so the pressure’s on; Mister Coffey, the first British-trained horse home in the Grand National when 8th, gets a good chance to lose his chasing maiden tag at the tenth attempt (1-45), and in the same race it’ll be interesting to see if the team around Sam Twiston-Davies have called this one right as he could presumably have ridden most of the remaining runners, but has plumped for Good Risk At All.
Once the Pipe team (Martin and then David) used to dominate this weekend, and they introduce a classy ex-French runner which might be on a pretty handy weight level in Placenet (2-55); and at 3-30, down the betting a bit, is Rock My Way was considered a very exciting prospect when 2nd and then a winner at Cheltenham in January.
THE WINNER (Saturday)
Runners from less high profile stables can sometimes be overlooked, but Notlongtillmay will not be by me. That run the other day could be all-important.
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