Can Lord Windermere Do The Gold Cup Double?

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the big event on the final day of the Festival. This Grade One chase will see 18 entrants jump 22 obstacles over the 3m,2f trip. Last year`s winner was Lord Windermere who will be looking to win back-to-back titles this season at a price of 18/1 (Numerous). Should he want to regain his title, the Jim Culloty-trained horse will have to overcome the long time favourite for this race Silviniaco Conti. One of two Paul Nicholls` horses in the field, the nine-year-old can be backed at a price of 9/2 at a number of bookmakers.

This will be the third Gold Cup in which Silviniaco Conti has appeared, falling in his first attempt before finishing fourth in his second. Jumping improvements are expected to have been made and will need to have been should it be third time lucky for the Potensis Bloodstock charge.

This season, Silviniaco Conti has had a brilliant run-up to this race, finishing fifth in his account opener in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby (25f) before picking up Haydock`s Grade One Lancashire Chase (25f) and Kempton`s King George (24f). These were his fourth and fifth Grade One wins of his career.

The top rated chaser in this field at 174, the horse must draw on all this experience to get a result on a course that he generally finds unfavourable. This will be his perfect opportunity to right this wrong however, going off favourite with the conditions just right.

It wouldn`t be a 2015 Cheltenham Festival market without a Rich Ricci, Willie Mullins collaboration at the head of affairs and this time they have the second favourite - Djakadam. The son of Saint Des Saints is available at the best price of 7/1 at a number of bookies though this price is shortening all the time.

Djakadam finished well back in the Hennessy Gold Cup (26f) at Newbury but bounced back by recording an eight length victory in Gowran Park`s Grade A Goffs Thyestes Handicap when carrying 6lbs more than My Murphy in second. That handicap is run over 3m,1f.

This is only the six-year-old`s second season chasing and was a faller in last year`s JLT at the Festival. Whether or not this big race has come too soon for the Irish raider remains to be seen though he will certainly be all the better for the experience.

Many Clouds, readily available at 8/1, was the winner of the Hennessy, recording a winning distance over second placed Houblon Des Obeaux of more than three lengths. Venetia Williams` runner-up is a 50/1 shout to reverse the form over Oliver Sherwood`s Newbury winner in the Gold Cup.

The 8/1 shout has just had one subsequent run, the winner of the Grade Two Betbright Cup here by over a length when carrying an 8lb heavier than runner-up Smad Place (28/1). This experience in that 25f event at this course is obviously going to be beneficial and nobody can say that this horse doesn`t deserve his chance in such a prestigious race. The ground just may not be soft enough for this long time companion of Leighton Aspell.

Mark Bradstock`s novice Coneygree is next in the betting at 10/1 (betfred, Betvictor, ladbrokes, Totesport). The unbeaten chaser will be taking his first chasing run around the course he had so much success at as a hurdler and does look interesting at a big price, already a one-time Grade One (24f) and two-time Grade Two success story (20f, 24f).

One of the best outside chances is Boston Bob at odds of 33/1 (32red, 888sport, boylesports).

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13/03/2015     © Frixo 2026