2026 BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup: runner-by-runner guide and tip

Alex Scott takes a detailed look at the six declared runners for Friday's rescheduled Grade Two feature at Aintree and shares his prediction.

1 JPR ONE

T: Joe Tizzard. J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr. Weight: 11st 12lb. Best odds: 3-1.

The top-rated runner and the winner of this race two years ago at it’s regular home of Exeter, he finished third to impressive winner Thistle Ask 12 months ago.

The nine-year-old kept up his impressive record when fresh by again winning on his seasonal debut at Cheltenham two weeks ago where he defied top weight to register a fifth victory over fences.

Giving away lumps of weight, with more than half of his rivals racing out of the handicap, his impressive performance was up there with his best efforts, but the question mark is whether he can follow that up.

On his only previous chase start at Aintree, he finished a distant fourth in April’s Melling Chase. Grade One company may have proved too demanding, though it was also his sixth run of the season.

With Brendan Powell facing a spell on the sidelines after breaking his arm at Plumpton on Monday, Jonjo O’Neill takes over for the first time.

2 MIRABAD

T: Dan Skelton. J: Harry Skelton. Weight: 11st 6lb. Best odds: 6-4.

An impressive 50-1 winner of the Grade One Maghull Novices’ Chase on his first try at the top level in April, it is no surprise to see Dan Skelton’s seven-year-old head the market for this Grade Two Handicap back over the same course and distance.

He could have doubled up in the Celebration Chase at Sandown two weeks later, only to unseat Tristan Durrell at the seventh fence.

Like JPR One, his reappearance effort also came two weeks ago, with Mirabad putting in a fine performance to finish second in Carlisle’s Panoramic Hurdle behind Wilful and ahead of Golden Ace.

The son of Gleneagles, who had his wind operated on over the summer, looks set to run another big race on his return to chasing, with the forecast good ground likely to suit, but he may need to sharpen up his jumping.

3 RUBAUD

T: Paul Nicholls. J: Sam Twiston-Davies. Weight: 10st 9lb. Best odds: 6-1.

Rubaud has not always convinced with his jumping either and has been known to make significant mistakes since he fell on his chase debut in the Wayward Lad at Kempton two years ago.

Despite that, he did show good form as a novice, chasing home L’Eau du Sud in the Kingmaker and winning Kempton’s Grade Two Pendil , before connections returned to hurdling for the majority of last season.

This will be his first start over fences since pulling up in the Grand Annual in March and just his second start over fences since May 2025.

The eight-year-old was last seen finishing fourth of eight in Carlisle’s Panoramnic Hurdle (a race he had won for the past three years), four lengths behind the re-opposing Mirabad, though he is 5lb better off at the weights here.

4 STENCIL

T: Tom George. J: Harry Cobden. Weight: 10st 6lb. Best odds: 10-1.

The son of Masar makes his debut for Tom George and has good form to his name, but he often flattered to deceive for former trainers Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, and arrives here with something to prove having been pulled-up at Aintree in the Red Rum Handicap Chase on his latest start in April.

It is a concern he ran so poorly over this course and distance when sent off a well-backed 10-3 chance for that race, and evidence is mounting that he is seen to better effect when there is more cut in the ground.

Likely to be held-up, he may need a stronger pace than forecast to make the frame, and due to the presence of JPR One, is the first of three runners running from out of the handicap (3lb wrong).

5 BROOKIE

T: Anthony Honeyball. J: Ben Godfrey. Weight: 10st 6lb. Best odds: 11-1.

A high-class operator on his day, Anthony Honeyball’s nine-year-old was an eye-catcher on his seasonal reappearance at Ascot last week when coming from the rear to finish fourth in a competitive handicap won by Vanderpoel.

He had signed off his 2025/26 season with some disappointing results. Out of his depth in the Champion Chase, he was again well beaten in the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree and then fell late on in the Celebration Chase. 

It looks as if he could do with slightly further these days, but connections have opted to remain in a handicap over the minimum trip and have reached for first-time cheekpieces which should help him travel with a bit more vigour in the early and mid part of the race.

He is on an attractive official rating of 135, but he races off 6lb higher than that here and he has only won once in the last two years. He will need things to fall right.

6 DAYTIME DREAMING

T: Tom Ellis. J: Jack Andrews. Weight: 10st 6lb. Best odds: 16-1.

A graduate of the British point-to-point field, trainer Tom Ellis then pitched the son of Malinas into a couple of maiden hurdles at the end of 2024 before going chasing last season.

That decision brought about significant improvement, yielding two victories from four starts and progressing from an opening mark of 117 to 130.

Despite his promise, with all three of his wins under rules coming over two miles, he is 11lb wrong at the weights and this looks a mammoth task on the figures.

Ellis’s brother-in-law, 6ft 5in Jack Andrews, is set to take the ride. He has partnered Daytime Dreaming in all but one of his races so far.

Verdict

Alex Scott

Mirabad

15:00 Aintree

J:

Harry Skelton

T:

D Skelton

13/8

There are slight concerns about his jumping, but that applies to a few in this race and so MIRABAD is taken to follow up his encouraging reappearance over hurdles at Carlisle. He was an emphatic winner over the talented Salvator Mundi over this course and distance in April and a similar performance will be enough. Former winner JPR One is his obvious threat, and Rubaud can get closer to him this time off better terms granted a clear round.

1 MIRABAD. 2 JPR ONE. 3 RUBAUD.