Last year’s winner Il Ridoto is one of 16 horses confirmed for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The eight-year-old gave trainer Paul Nicholls back-to-back victories in the prestigious handicap after winning gold with Stage Star the previous season, and he is the 4-1 favorite with the sponsors to become the first horse to successfully defend his crown since Bradbury Star in the 1990s after finishing second in his season’s outing at Chepstow last month.
Jagwar is a leading contender for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s training partnership. He carried the colors of JP McManus to two wins at Cheltenham last season, including success in the Festival Plate, and has had this race as his comeback target for some time.
Dan Skelton, who is in the hunt for the title, has three potential runners in Panic Attack, Riskintheground and Hoe Joly Smoke, while Vincenzo is a top contender for Sam Thomas.
This year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup is held in memory of the late Edward O’Grady, who saddled the last Irish-trained winner in Tranquil Sea (2009), and the raiders appear to have a strong hand with Gavin Cromwell, Henry de Bromhead and Paul Nolan all represented.
Cromwell could saddle both Thecompanysergeant and The Other Mozzie, Coming Up Easy and Theater Native are De Bromhead’s duo and Nolan has left Conyers Hill.
Matata (Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies), Bad (Ben Pauling), Es Perfecto (Alan King), Hunter Legend (Venetia Williams) and Issar d’Airy (Gary and Josh Moore) complete the potential field.
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