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Friday means it's Gold Cup day.
The track forecast is soft, good to soft in parts but they are opening up a new bit of track that hasn't been race on since the Gold Cup of 2019.
That ground should be familiar to Al Boum Photo, who won the race last year and comes into this as fav after an identical prep. 7/2 for the Mullins-Townend champ. The race this year is really very open and there's ticks and crosses against many of the runners. Santini is one who has been increasing the ticks of late and is on 9/2 for Henderson-de Boinville. Delta Work, Clan des Obeaux, Lostintranslation and Presenting Percy all come into this category so take your pick!
The day starts off with the Triumph Hurdle Gr1 with 13 runners. Goshen, for Gary and Jamie Moore, is on 11/4 ahead of Solo 7/2 and Allmankind 9/2. We have a roughie here in Cerberus 22/1 for Joseph O'Brien and Mark Walsh.
The Albert Barlett Novices Hurdle Gr 1 has 19 starters headed by Latest Exhibition on 4/1, Thyme Hill 5/1 and we rather like Monkfish 7/1. The cat insists that we have something on Cat Tiger 50/1 so for peace and domestic harmony……
And that was Thursday –
Starting off with the Marsh Novices' Chasee where favourite Samcro just nudged out our roughie Melon by a nose, and the wonderful Faugheen got a well-earned third prize. Itchy Feet ditched the jockey.
The Ryanair Chase had 8 runners and it was a beauty with Min finished just ahead of our roughie Saint Calvados 20/1 with A Plus Tard third which made for a very good result for us. We shall have to get some Calvados with which to celebrate!
The Stayers' Hurdle was a great result for the roughies unfortunately without ours although Emitom ran 4th. The winner was Lisnagar Oscar 50/1 for Rebecca Curtis and Adam Wade so big celebrations in Wales. Ronald Pump was 2nd at 33/1 and Bacardys third on 33/1 meaning the tricast was in the words of one commentator "of national lottery proportions". It was in Sterling 28,381.06!
And the Mares Hurdle went to Concertista from Dolcita 9/1 and Rayne's World 100/1. Minella Melody was disappointing.
