11am McCoy picks Carlingford Lough in Cheltenham Gold Cup
Tony Paley: Tony McCoy has plumped for Carlingford Lough in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Festival meeting on March 13.
The soon-to-be-retired jockey had the option or partnering Holywell, but McCoy will instead keep faith with John Kiely’s nine-year-old, who excelled in the Irish Hennessy at Fairyhouse earlier this month.
McCoy blogged on http://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk: “My final Cheltenham Festival as a jockey is now just three weeks away and I couldn’t be happier to say that Carlingford Lough will be my ride in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“So long as trainer John Kiely and JP McManus [owner] are happy with his condition then I will be aboard him on March 13. He gave me a great feel winning the Irish Hennessy and I am very much looking forward to riding him in the Gold Cup, if he lines up.
“Gold Cup day is probably the most important day of the whole jumping year and I am hoping he has got a live chance. People might look back to last year and point out he was only sixth in the RSA but he never really got into a rhythm and we saw more of what he was capable of when he won the Grade One at Punchestown.
“John Kiely has the horse in great shape and he is definitely going there with a chance. My other possible ride was Holywell and he was right back to form at Kelso last Thursday. It wasn’t much of a race but he travelled well and jumped better as the race went on. The way the horse improves through this time of the year he is definitely a Gold Cup contender, that is for sure.”
Thursday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
The best Flat racing on Thursday is at Meydan where the winter Dubai carnival continues but the suggestion of a bet is at Chelmsford City where Winter Queen (5.40) should go well for Godolphin in the Class 5 mile handicap. The selection has improved since switching to handicaps and her display when runner-up at Wolverhampton last week suggests she can win this with that reappearance run under her belt.
At Musselburgh, Ginger Jack (3.30) is the best wager on the card for the excellent Keith Dalglish. This decent ex-Flat runner looks fairly treated for his switch to handicap company.
Cheltenham Festival Stat of the Day
by Paul Jones, author of the Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide published by Weatherbys
At yesterday’s media day, Willie Mullins confirmed that last season’s narrow Arkle runner-up, Champagne Fever, was on target for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase arguing that his stamina would be a big asset. If Champagne Fever was to win, he certainly wouldn’t be the first horse who failed to fully stay three miles in the William Hill King George (finished fourth) earlier in the season to drop back a mile to be crowned the Champion Chaser as Barnbrook Again, Remittance Man, Deep Sensation and One Man have done so since 1990. Ruby Walsh felt that he was the second best horse in the race and would have finished runner-up if ridden to do so. Both narrow runner-up in the previous season’s Racing Post Arkle Trophy, Buck House and Finian’s Rainbow went one place better in the Champion Chase than the Arkle. Going back to 1986 and Barnbrook Again was also placed in the Arkle the year before his first Champion Chase success. Champagne Fever may have just been edged out by Western Warhorse at last season’s Festival after an interrupted preparation but it is still worth noting that the last 14 Arkle winners to run in the Champion Chase all finished in the first three.
The Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide is published on February 20th and you can order a copy at www.weatherbysshop.co.uk or by calling 01933 304776. To receive £5 off simply quote CHELT15.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday
Gilzean 3-1
Gold Futures 6-1
Knock A Hand 4-1
Tuesday
Midnight Lira 13-2
Azure Aware 16-1
Hot Pepper 33-1
Wednesday
Aachen 5-1
Milan Bound 2-1
Ascendant 13-2
And our leader is. . .
mai11 +20.50
. . . despite a winnerless Wednesday. Jakebuckfast (+13) comes next. William36 (+8.50) had Aachen and Ascendant.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.30 Musselburgh, 3.40 Sedgefield, 4.55 Huntingdon.
This week’s prize is a copy of The Racing Post’s Cheltenham Festival Guide 2015, which will be printed this week. It promises to be “packed with invaluable advice”, including a race-by-race guide, key trends analysed, details on the Irish challenge, jockeys and trainers to follow and the views of the Post team. It retails at £12.99 and, if you don’t win, you can buy it here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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