A maximum field of 24 will face the starter tomorrow for the Coral Gold Cup (2.55 Newbury) run over three miles two furlongs. The going on the chase course is currently described as good to soft but up to 10mm of rain is forecast before the scheduled off-time.
There has only been one Irish winner of the race since 1990 - the Willie Mullins trained Total Recall in 2017 - but this year six of ten Irish trained runners sit at the head the handicap; top weight Monty's Star finished fourth behind Inothewayurthinkin in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and then third behind Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of April.
Current favourite Myretown, trained by Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, hasn't been seen since making all under Patrick Wadge to win the Ultima at the Festival by 11 lengths off a mark of 127 (The Changing Man second, Grandeur d'Ame twelfth, Victtorino and Katate Dori both pulled up). Irked somewhat by such a blatant display of precocity, the handicapper reacted by raising the gelding 15 pounds.
Earlier this week Lucinda sounded quite bullish, indicating this race has been the target for some time; her charge has taken in a number of racecourse gallops and she clearly believes there's more improvement to come.
Sporting first-time cheekpieces Resplendent Grey won the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the final day of last season (Spanish Harlem fourth, Victtorino seventh, O'Moore Park eleventh).
He held Handstands over two and a half miles at Carlisle four weeks ago; the cheekpieces weren't in use for that seasonal debut but they're back on tomorrow.
Connections try cheekpieces on The Changing Man for the first time.
I don't think anyone would begrudge Joe Tizzard's charge a day in the spotlight; the gelding has been a model of consistency - placed in his last seven chase starts - but still has just one chase win to his name, the Reynoldstown at Ascot last February.
The manner in which Katate Dori won last season's Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton sticks in the mind.
He beat second placed horse Hyland 15 lengths, with Lowry's Bar pulled up and subsequently reported to have bled from the nose. His mark tomorrow is 12 pounds higher although Dylan Johnson can claim three.
Meanwhile Hyland beat Resplendent Grey conceding three pounds in a Cheltenham novice chase just over 12 months ago.
Nicky Henderson's charge finished ninth behind Three Card Brag at the same track last month (Inch House sixth), weakening on the approach to the final flight. At the time a lot of the yard's runners needed that first run; the grey seems to appreciate better ground.
Spanish Harlem appears to have benefitted from cheekpieces.
On his penultimate start, in receipt of six pounds, he beat Three Card Brag four and a half lengths in the Kerry National at Listowel. At level weights here, the pair look evenly matched; both race off career-high marks.
Panic Attack won the Paddy Power Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Cheltenham a fortnight ago.
Dan Skelton's mare has yet to win over three miles and tries this trip for the first time. Since 2000 only two winners have been aged older than eight: Denman (2009) and Sizing Tennessee (2018).
Third in last year's renewal on seasonal debut, Victtorino tries again off a mark four pounds higher.
The gelding ran a strange race that day, apparently struggling in rear and not jumping particularly well before making up ground from two out without ever worrying winner Kandoo Kid and Broadway Boy.
Venetia Williams' charge subsequently won two chases at Ascot, beating The Changing Man on the first occasion. His run in the Ultima (pulled up) is forgiven as he got loose beforehand. The stable won this with Cloudy Glen in 2021 but hasn't been firing on all cylinders so far this year.
Paul Nicholls won this race twice as a jockey, on Broadheath (1986) and Playschool (1987) - both trained by David Barons - and four times as a trainer, with Strong Flow (2003), Denman twice (2007 and 2009) and Kandoo Kid last year.
This year he will be represented by Inch House, described on his blog as a lively outsider who will benefit from the forecast rain. The gelding runs off a mark two pounds out of the handicap.
To my mind The Doyen Chief may have been outstayed by Deep Cave over three miles on soft ground at Bangor two and a half weeks ago.
Alan King's charge made a mistake at the last which saw Tom Bellamy lose an iron - he might have prevailed with a better leap at the last but I'm not convinced. Still, every cloud - he's due to go up three pounds but races off 137, the same mark as at Bangor.
Five weeks ago Blizzard Of Oz won at Wexford on his first try beyond two and a half miles.
Not the best of jumpers, he takes another step up in trip here; speaking on ITV Racing earlier this afternoon Ruby Walsh named this one as probably Willie Mullins' best chance.
Jockey bookings suggest Gorgeous Tom is the pick of Henry De Bromhead's pair.
Racing prominently he finished fourth behind Lecky Watson in the Brown Advisory at the Festival and seven weeks later occupied the same position behind Champ Kiely in the three mile novice chase at the Punchestown Festival. The cobwebs were blown away over a shorter trip at Down Royal 28 days ago.
Stablemate Monty's Star carries 12-00 - Mill House carried that same weight to victory in 1963 and Borough Hill Lad in 1984. Arkle won the 1964 and 1965 renewals under a welter burden of 12-07.
Last Christmas Perceval Legallois won the Listed Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown off 142 (subsequent Grand National winner Nick Rockett fourth, Three Card Brag seventh, Spanish Harlem thirteenth) and then a Listed handicap hurdle at the same track off 135.
Gavin Cromwell's charge was sent off a 10/1 chance for the Aintree Grand National but got no further than the ninth fence.
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White have their team in excellent order - six winners from 24 runs in the past fortnight; Keable won on seasonal debut at the Berkshire track earlier today.
Lowry's Bar bled when pulled up behind Katate Dori in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton in February. He likes to race up with the pace and his form behind Jagwar at Bangor reads well but speaking after Keable's victory today the handler didn't seem particularly prolix, preferring to highlight the chance of French Ship who goes in the 1.40.
O'Moore Park has yet to win over fences in seven attempts.
On his penultimate start he finished eleventh behind Resplendent Grey over an extended three and a half miles in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown (Spanish Harlem fourth, Victtorino seventh). He appeared to weaken from three out that day so the trip could well be within his range.
Annual Invictus has been off the track 581 days. In this week's RP Weekender Chris Gordon says:
"He's going to come on for his runs this season and he's got a high mark.
"Age is catching up with him a wee bit and they'll be tough races wherever we go off this sort of mark, but we've got to start somewhere and Newbury suits him.
"He'll probably get a bit tired going into the home straight, which you'd expect with a horse who's had a long time off. His ultimate aim will be the bet365 Gold Cup again."
Earlier today Intense Raffles was 66/1 which I thought quite a big price if the forecast rain were to arrive; he's currently half that price.
Conceding three pounds, this one was only beaten threequarters of a length by Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February.
However, since moving to Thomas Gibney's yard two years ago, his three wins have all come at Fairyhouse, a right-handed track. He jumped right throughout before being pulled up in the Aintree Grand National but turns up here with the benefit of a prep run at Clonmel three weeks ago.
At the Trials meeting at Cheltenham in January Moon d'Orange pipped Grandeur d'Ame a short head in a two and a half mile handicap chase; for the most part their best form is around that trip, a comment that also applies to Pic Roc and Riskintheground while A Penny A Hundred goes from out of the handicap.
A cracking, highly competitive renewal.
Katate Dori made quite an impression at Kempton in February and had a prep over hurdles at Aintree three weeks ago; with Dylan Johnson claiming three, Sam Thomas' charge gets the vote. The start will be no place for the faint-hearted - I'm hoping to see him race prominently.
Katate Dori is the each-way suggestion, 10/1 generally with bet365 and Unibet among those layers paying six places.
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