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Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase Tips: Plenty of Optimism for Wishfull Thinking

The Grade 3, Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase is the feature race at this week’s Cheltenham Open Meeting and as it usually does has attracted a large but very decent field of runners. Of course ‘lots of runners’ means ‘lots of tips’ which often, particularly in a handicap race such as this, confuses the punters.

For instance there have been many commentators aiming their tips in the direction of current race favourite, Mon Parrain. However, before punters go rushing in to back him, they should note that if he wins he would be only the second five year in the race’s 50 year history to have done so. The 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run for example failed to win this race last year as a five year old despite going off as the 2/1 favourite and he was carrying less weight. Mon Parrain of course is trained by champion trainer, Paul Nicholls, but despite winning almost everything there is to win in National Hunt racing he has yet to saddle a winner in this race.

This why it is felt that Mon Parrain’s odds of 10/3 currently available from the sponsors Paddy Power are perhaps a ‘little too skinny’ for a horse so inexperienced, particularly when there appears to be plenty of better qualified entries. This is not to say Mon Parrain is lacking in talent, because he is not. He looked very impressive until he virtually stopped, when second behind Always Waining over the Grand National fences at Aintree in the Listed John Smith Handicap Chase back in April. He finished 4 lengths adrift that day but was giving 16lbs to the winner which ultimately cost him the race. A month or so before that he carried plenty of weight but still won the Paddy Power.com Handicap Chase at Sandown by a huge 22 lengths. He is not without a big chance that is for sure, but we think in an overall sense that he is a favourite worth taking on!

With so much against Mon Parrain, perhaps one or two of the other popular tips should be looked at a little more closely. Wishfull Thinking, for instance, trained by Phillip Hobbs, is certainly one of the tips that catch the eye. This eight year old finished an impressive second, four lengths behind Noble Prince in the Grade Two Jewson’s Novice Chase over 2m4f on Cheltenham’s new course last March before going on to win Grade Two Manifesto Chase at Aintree and the valuable Mick the Tent Memorial Novice Handicap Chase at the Punchestown Festival in May. It is true that he will be giving the favourite plenty of weight in this but he is still on a weight that can win and is clearly one of the class horses in the race. He is currently the second favourite with odds of 15/2 with Paddy Power who have reported plenty of recent support for him in the antepost market.

One thing is for absolute sure this year is that the Paddy Power Gold Cup is a very competitive affair, with a host of entries from outside the top two in the betting with chances. Many of these could be regarded as each way tips of course and most come with excellent odds. One of these has to be the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Billy Magern, who comes to the race having trod a very similar path to the winner 12 months ago, Little Josh, also from the Twiston-Davies yard. This stable in fact also saddled the winner in 2008 with none other than Imperial Commander, who went on to win the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Just like Little Josh achieved last year, Billy Magern has already won his seasonal opener at Cheltenham, he will have the same jockey on board, Sam Twiston-Davies and will carry the same 20/1 odds, available from paddy power.

Others who have been in receipt of plenty of tips include the Henry De Bromhead trained 16/1 shot Loosen My Load who will be returning to his favourite trip. He has won at Grade 3 level before and was third behind Noble Prince and Wishfull Thinking in the ‘Jewson’s’ back in March. Divers, trained by Ferdy Murphy who can currently be backed with odds of 14/1 has also been popular with the pundits. As with all Murphy trained horses, punters can certainly expect an honest effort from the seven year old who won the Centenary Novice Handicap Chase over course and distance at the ‘Festival’ back in March. Murphy is no stranger to the winners enclosure in this race either having saddled L’Antartique to win in 2007 with odds of 13/2.

Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase Tips

Winner: Wishfull Thinking @ 15/2 with Paddy Power.com

Each Way: Billy Magern @ 20/1 with Paddy Power.com

The odds for the Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase have been provided by the sponsors Paddy Power.com who will be operating its usual high standard online service throughout this Open Meeting at Cheltenham.

Posted: Friday, 11th November 2011
Author: Rodney Wise
Tags: paddypower chase, cheltenham open meeting, mon parrain, wishfull thinking, paddypower,

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