Haldon Gold Cup Tips: Elixir looks De Nutz at Exeter
Haldon Gold Cup tips as we preview the Exeter Grade 2 contest, which takes place on Friday afternoon and will see a quality field go for glory in the 2m 1f 109y contest. Our man Steve Chambers has delved through the form guides and has picked out his best bet for the contest...
With four wins in the last eight renewals of the Haldon Gold Cup, Paul Nicholls has a fabulous recent record in the showpiece event at Exeter racecourse and the master of Ditcheat will saddle the classy Solo in the 2023 renewal. The seven-year-old has shown to be a really decent performer on his day and still has plenty of upside. A fine two-length winner of the Grade 2 Pendil Novices' Chase at Kempton Park last season, Solo failed to land a blow when pulling up in the Oaksey Chase at Sandown, but he will look to kick off his season with a win here and hand Nicholls another success.
That defeat at Sandown came over 2m 6f, so he will take a notable drop in trip for this contest and that could well be his downfall, as he may just lack the pace of some of his rivals. He strikes me as a horse that would benefit for a bit of a trip and he could be a potential outside player for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but over this trip of just over two miles he could be tapped for a toe a little.
There's no doubting the class act of the race is Gary Moore's , who was a revelation last season as having won the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over the Christmas period he then went and stormed to Grade 1 success in the Clarence House Chase. Well fancied for the Champion Chase in March, he failed to maintain the gallop in the closing stages and was completely outclassed by Energumene. This is a fascinating race for him to return in, as he will have to give over a stone to all of his rivals and while he's undoubtedly the best in the field, it's a tough ask on his seasonal reappearance.
The Tizzard family have a decent affiliation with this race, with the legendary Cue Card winning it way back in 2012 and Eldorado Allen winning two years ago. Joe Tizzard will unleash a leading candidate in the shape of ELIXIR DE NUTZ, who will carry a featherweight in this contest and also has the benefit of Freddie Gingell taking 7lbs off. A former Grade 1 winner of the Tolworth Hurdle, the nine-year-old failed to fire at Chepstow last time out, but he just blew up in the closing stages and shaped as if he needed the run.
Second at this track on his last visit, Elixir De Nutz will need to improve on that Chepstow run considerably, but he's one that does kick on from his seasonal reappearance and this test could be tailor-made for him. Others could hold bigger aspirations later in the season, but Elixir De Nutz could be fully tuned up for this and looks the one to back.
War Lord will be the second shot fired by the Tizzard gun and that eight-year-old was well fancied for the contest 12 months ago, but could only finish third. Beaten 21 lengths that day, he failed to find any sparkle and while he's rated 9lbs lower than last year's mark, he's been finding it tough over fences and on his first run of the season he's one that is best watched.
Brave Seasca and Indiana Jones complete the line-up and neither are forlorn hopes in this really trappy betting heat, but the former has blown more cold than hot for Venetia Williams in recent times and could find it tough, while the latter is a fascinating Irish-trained runner for Mouse Morris, who will need to improve on a sixth placed finish at Cork last time out.
