#Paddy Power Gold Cup

Newsboy's Nap selection on the New Year's Day racing programme is the Warren Greatex-trained Abuffalosoldier at Cheltenham (3.05). The next best is another Prestbury Park runner Midnight River (1.55) Stattler MIDNIGHT RIVER is fancied to get punters off to the perfect start for 2023 with a victory in the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase…

Newsboy has napped Dan Skelton's Protektorat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham races. The horse is part-owned by Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson PROTEKTORAT is fancied to make light of top weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.15) at Cheltenham this afternoon. Jumps fans are in for a treat as the two-and-a-half-mile test, viewed…

Cheltenham's Showcase meeting is one of the highlights of the opening salvos of the jumps season and Saturday's card looks an absolute cracker. The ITV cameras will be at Prestbury Park for five of the seven races, including two £60000 handicap chases and a £40000 Masterson Holdings Hurdle that has been won by the likes of Dodging Bullets, Tiger…

Renowned Horse Racing Tipster and Journalist Ed Quigley, aka'Longshot Ted' offers up his best bets for Saturday's ITV action, and picks out some of the other horses who have made him sit up and take note, on what should be a cracking weekend of sport. Saturday Advice: BLOOD DESTINY, Fairyhouse 12.27, win Evens - William Hill PAINT THE DREAM,…

Well, we've finally arrived at my final blog of 2022. Have you had enough of racing yet this festive period? Of course not! Let's kick off 2023 as we ended 2022, with more superb sport headlined by Cheltenham's New Year's Day fixture. The first horse I'm pinning my hopes on to get the new year off to a flyer is SECRET REPRIEVE in the AIS Handicap…

The Challow Novices' Hurdle has a stellar roll of honour this century and Paul Nicholls, responsible for the last two winners, Bravemansgame and Stage Star, won it again with Hermes Allen (144p from 135p). This renewal combined both quantity - it was the first double-figure field since 2009 - with quality, though the testing conditions took their…

To get my excuses in first, Newbury on New Year's Eve provided just about the worst possible conditions for anyone trying to glean meaningful observations from the paddock. Rain that was supposed to be off and on was never off, the wind was blowing and the horses were well rugged up until as late as possible. Just keeping my notes from being soggy…

Dual Ryanair Chase winner Allaho is one of 27 horses entered for the 2023 Ryanair Chase, which will be run on day three of the Cheltenham Festival on March 16, and the aforementioned Willie Mullins-trained raider will be a hot favourite for the 2m 5f contest. We take a look at the entries here and have all the latest odds for what should be a…

There's plenty of top-class jumps racing this weekend with New Years Day kicking off 2023 in style at Cheltenham with the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle and big fields at Fairyhouse. There's multiple races to get behind on Sunday with graded, Class 1 and 2 contests ushering in the new year with a bang at Cheltenham, including the Paddy Power New Year's Day…

We hope our readers enjoyed a thrilling New Year's Eve and look forward to a plethora of outstanding free bet offers from the leading UK bookmakers. What better way to bring in 2023 than by watching a host of top-class equine action from the home of jumps racing, with Cheltenham live on ITV. A pair of Grade 2 prizes are up for grabs from Prestbury…

The Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham over more than two and a half miles on Sunday is a hugely competitive affair. There are no less than six horses in this race from my'horse tracker' - horses that have caught my eye for one reason or another recently and that I expect to back in future. The key to the outcome of the race is…

All the action, as it happened, at Prestbury Park Another fantastic week of racing at the Greatest Show on Turf. And the Cheltenham Gold Cup certainly lived up to the hype amid a titanic tussle between Native River and Might Bite. Relive that, and the rest of Friday's coverage, below... 1:30pm JCB Triumph Hurdle 1. Farclas 9/1 2. Mr Adjudicator…

National Hunt's traditional curtain-raiser to a new year will take place on Sunday as Cheltenham racecourse will host their New Year's Day card, and our man Steve Chambers has taken at the action from Prestbury Park and looks to kick off 2023 with some winning tips... Classy hurdler MONMIRAL was handed an almighty test on chasing debut when he…

Paddy's Pick 5 is free to play and is back for yet another festive edition on Friday, with another £10000 prize fund up for grabs. See our recommendations to get you started and don't forget to submit your entry! I quite liked the performance of Trojan Horse last time and there's a chance he could be a little underestimated in his follow-up bid. He…

Consistency had been a notable trait in A Plus Tard's star-studded career before bombing out in the Betfair Chase, and Henry de Bromhead is optimistic the scintillating Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is back to himself. Cheveley Park Stud's dual Cheltenham Festival winner had never finished out of the first three in his 19 starts before pulling up at…

Kempton's Ladbrokes King George (3.00) was won by the outsider Frodon, giving trainer Paul Nicholls his 12th success in the race Bryony Frost judged her fractions to perfection as Frodon served up a 20-1 shock in the 2020 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase. The pair have had a tremendous partnership in recent seasons and hit the heights in the festive…

We've picked out five horses that could run well at each-way odds across the three-day November Meeting Al Dancer (right), jumping alongside Rouge Vif (left) and Getaway Trump at Cheltenham is the Paddy Power Gold Cup selection The 2021/22 National Hunt season is about to crank up several gears as some of the sport's biggest names do battle over…

STOLEN SILVER still looked to have running in him when unseating at the third last in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month and is given another chance as he still looks on a decent mark based on his Silver Trophy win here in the spring. Il Ridoto shaped well in fourth in the Paddy Power and Paul Nicholls has a good record in this race so he's an…

The Cheltenham November Meeting is one of the biggest events on the National Hunt horse racing calendar, with the Paddy Power Gold Cup taking centre stage on Saturday, November 12. Although there are three days of quality racing that provide plenty of pointers when it comes to the 2023 Cheltenham Festival which takes place in a few months' time. If…

The average winner of the opening-day highlight of Cheltenham's December Gold Cup meeting over the last ten years has been a nine-year-old, on their 17th chase start, beating eight rivals. Add in the fact only half went off at single-figure odds for their next race and there are definite trends that do not sit all that comfortably with the…

Il Ridoto became favourite for Saturday's AIS December Gold Cup (1.50) at Cheltenham after ante-post market leader Midnight River was taken out by in-form trainer Dan Skelton due to the ground. Midnight River looked set to try to continue the yard's remarkable run of Saturday success following big-race victories with Protektorat in the Betfair…

The Grade One-winning hurdler was brilliant in winning three times over fences last season and would have been four from four had he not crashed out at the final fence in the Turners' Novices' Chase at the Festival in March. He is a best priced 11/4 to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a third Gold Cup success following the back-to-back wins of…

Energumene (left) and Galopin Des Champs are both set to return on Sunday Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs is a step closer to making his seasonal reappearance after his trainer Willie Mullins left him in Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown (2.00) at the five-day declaration stage. Galopin Des Champs is a best-priced…

1pt win War Lord in 1.50 Cheltenham at 10/1 (Hills) 1pt win Theatre Glory in 3.35 Cheltenham at 3/1 (General) The Ais December Gold Cup, run over Cheltenham's New Course, is more of a stamina test than the Paddy Power Gold Cup but regularly tempts those who ran at the track four weeks ago to come back and have another go at this big prize.

Chris Wilson looks ahead to the International Meeting and shares five names to note on an exciting card from the home of jumps racing this Saturday, live on Racing TV. Fingers crossed the weather doesn't get in the way! Winter is officially here - but jumps fans should not crack open the mulled wine just yet. Cheltenham's executive will no doubt be…

Stolen Silver: unseated his rider three out when favourite for the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month Market principals Midnight River, Il Ridoto and Stolen Silver remain in contention for Saturday's £130000 Ais December Gold Cup at Cheltenham (1.50) after the confirmations stage on Monday. Midnight River could bid to continue the fantastic run of…

Our man believes Red Happy can shock Frodon in the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton while Al Dancer can triumph over the Grand National fences at Aintree DON'T worry, be Happy. The Badger Beer Chase looks a cracking race this year with King George winner Frodon lining up in Wincanton's annual brock-buster but much lower down the weight RED…

Six months after saddling Global Citizen to glory for the couple in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase at the Festival, the Naunton handler will now attempt to give them another special day in the £100000 Premier Handicap. Although the son of Nathaniel is yet to add to his debut success over hurdles at Carlisle in November 2020, the…

It's the first day of the November Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse, Countryside Day. The card, on ITV Racing, features the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (2.55) Class act My Drogo faces two opponents as he bids to race into contention for the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. Dan Skelton's Grade 1-winning novice hurdler is up against Gin On Lime and…

Cheltenham's November Meeting is one of the most eagerly anticipated jumping fixtures of the season and the 2021 edition promises to be one of the best ever. The feature event of the three-day festival is Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup and a hugely competitive 20-strong field has been assembled to compete for the £160000 prize. There will be clues…

NOTHING would give me more pleasure than to pull Paddy's pants down by finding you the winner of today's Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase. Cheltenham's feature race, live on ITV, is the first really big clash of the new jumps season. The two-and-a-half-mile thriller encourages a mix of speed-jumping and stamina, which is why the event has…

Impulsive One (left) shares the silks of Henderson's other leading Cheltenham hope Fusil Raffles A major non-runner in the bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle (2.40) has driven market support for Impulsive One to claim a first Graded success at Doncaster on Saturday. The Nicky Henderson-trained runner suffered his first defeat over hurdles at Kempton in…

Few trainers are in better form than the Lambourn handler at present, with Snowden operating at around a 30 per cent strike-rate for the past two months. Yet Snowden is keen to pick his moments with Kiltealy Briggs, who finished third in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase last season to Bravemansgame. "He is very well," said Snowden. "He is in the Grand…

The Paddy Power Gold Cup, which takes place at Cheltenham's November Meeting, can often be a pointer towards the December Gold Cup and Midnight River and Il Ridoto, who finished third and fourth in that contest, figure prominently in the ante-post market. Midnight River had been hit with an 8 lb rise following a 25-length romp on his return at…

SATURDAY of the Paddy Power meeting is always a massive day with the Paddy Power Gold Cup the highlight. I only managed to win it once, but that was on Cyfor Malta in 2002, four years after he'd won it for the first time under AP McCoy. Only five horses have won it twice and he is one of them. He was a classy horse and even though I'm not sure…

THEY fought Ga Law, and Ga Law won. Mind you, like any good police chase, his win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup was fraught with danger and drama. For the vast majority of the race, it looked like those pesky Irish were going to make off with yet another pot of Cheltenham gold. Mouse Morris' French Dynamite appeared to have them all beat turning for…

TEMPLEGATE takes on Saturday's big race confident of finding the winner. Read on for his runner-by-runner guide and find his big pick below. MISTER FISHER 2 FISHER off hook. Was pulled up in this two years ago before bouncing back to win the Peterborough Chase here over two miles. He's been up and down since then thanks to his iffy jumping and was…

Several of the principals in last month's Paddy Power Gold Cup, won by Midnight Shadow (second right), are set to clash again Saturday's big race is the newly named Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham. The long-established feature has been won by some of jump racing's greats including Flyingbolt and Pendil, as well as popular performers such as…

Minella Indo with trainer Henry de Bromhead. YOU CAN START the countdown to the Cheltenham Festival wherever you wish: 361 days beforehand if you want, on the Friday night, looking back on the four days that have just flashed past, trying to assimilate it all with the 20-20 vision that is hindsight and project to the future. Or you can start it at…

L'Homme Presse takes what connections hope will be the first step towards a Gold Cup challenge in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot. The seven-year-old, trained by Venetia Williams, was an impressive winner of the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March and connections believe he will continue to progress and make up into a blue riband…

Stars are coming out to play on Saturday afternoon and the ITV Racing cameras will be at Ascot and Haydock to see them strutting their stuff. Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard is the main attraction in Haydock's Betfair Chase, while at Ascot fellow Cheltenham Festival scorers Constitution Hill and L'Homme Presse make their seasonal comebacks. Our racing…

Constitution Hill and A Plus Tard are both well clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings - 21 lb and 14 lb respectively - but another who has a significant edge on ratings and is likely to be odds-against is Hallowed Star. Hallowed Star progressed well over hurdles, winning three of his last four starts in that sphere, and he made a pleasing…

It may be some way in the distance, but Paul Nicholls has admitted that he has got his eye on next season's Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase for the in-form Don Alvaro (11/10 Favourite), who completed a course and distance double in some style at Wincanton on Thursday afternoon. The six year old has been something of a slow burner for…

Cornicello is well on top under Will Featherstone Thursday: Wincanton Jamie Snowden was spotted sprinting in the direction of the on-course bookies prior to Cornicello's success under Will Featherstone in the novice handicap hurdle for conditional and amateur riders, but it was not to have a flutter on his runner. "I was running to the start - I…

Sent off at 5/1, Jamie Snowden's charge made a few mistakes and was off the bridle at the top of the hill. At that stage the eventual runner-up was tracking Storm Control and swept past that rival turning for home. However the winner was beginning to find his stride under Jonathan Burke and he was the only danger after the last. For much of the…

The Betfair Chase seems to attract more chat than most when it comes to high-profile small-field horse races. It's far from being alone in the genre but here we have a race where the entry stage is now being debated. Would switching from an early-closing race to the usual six-day entry make any difference to field sizes for the first Grade One of…

Who turned off the taps? The weather is certainly causing plenty of headaches for clerks of the course and trainers alike. Having lost half of Sandown's card last Sunday to saturated ground, we have then seen Cheltenham's November Meeting dented by a host of non-runners due to the unseasonally good ground. Thankfully, it didn't stop the Paddy Power…

A Plus Tard will take centre stage when he defends his Betfair Chase crown at Haydock Park on Saturday but connections of mud-loving Protektorat, who is a class act in his own right, will be enjoying all the weather bulletins suggesting plenty more rain at the track between now and the weekend. It's not that A Plus Tard does not handle deep ground…