December Gold Cup: runner-by-runner guide

Ninth in this race last year, Ga Law returns here off a 2lb lower mark after being well beaten in February’s Denman Chase and pulling up at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

He did, however, put up a much better display on his final fun of the season at Sandown, finishing third behind Gaelic Warrior in the Oaksey Chase.

He will need to improve upon his remote third in the Charlie Hall Chase on his seasonal debut if he is to land this off top weight, although he has won over this trip on both the Old and New course previously, and won the Paddy Power Gold Cup as a six-year-old.

Jagwar is the favourite for this race at the time of writing after winning his past two races, both off which have been over this distance on the New Course.

He has gone up 16lb for those efforts and has not ran since winning the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, but he did win on his seasonal debut last year.

He is four from five over fences and this has presumably been his target for some time.

He bounced right back to form last time out, probably producing a career best performance on what was his first run since falling at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day 311 days previously.

He has finished in the first two in nine of his 15 starts under Rules and whilst he has shown he can handle good ground, softer conditions certainly will not inconvenience him.

On the face of it, his two Cheltenham efforts have not been particularly encouraging, but those runs came when he was set a tall order in the Turners the season before last, and then when falling four out in January. If his jumping stands up, he should hold a big chance.

Imperial Saint’s younger full-brother Le Divin Enfant made a scintillating start to life in Ireland when scoring by 23 lengths at Thurles the other day.

Unlike him, Imperial Saint did not run until he was five, taking in an Irish point-to-point and getting off the mark on his third start between the flags.

He has since scored twice over hurdles and three times over Rules fences, and has been largely consistent. 

He has Cheltenham form to his name, having finished third in the Premier Handicap chase over this distance back in late January and he probably needed the run when he finished fifth in the Old Roan at Aintree last time out where he was sent off the 2-1 favourite. He looked reluctant to race down at the start.

Last year’s winning trainer Venetia Williams has had just the four wins this season and half of those have come courtesy of Djelo in the Charlie Hall Chase and Peterborough Chase.

She looks set to saddle Martator here, a vastly experience eight-year-old with 34 starts under Rules. Seven of those have resulted in a victory, five of which have been over fences.

He was precocious enough to win at three in France and also finished second in the French Triumph. Since coming over to Britain, he has showed his versatility with regards to the ground, although this race could test his stamina if conditions turn soft, as he usually seen at slightly shorter trips.

It does not do justice to Il Ridoto’s ability that he has only won three times from 27 starts over fences.

He has largely performed consistently over this trip throughout his career, but despite having performed well on soft before, definitely has a preference for better ground.

He made an eye-catching reappearance when second behind Saint Segal at Chepstow before the ground scuppered his bid to repeat last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup victory at Cheltenham last time, ultimately coming home eighth, 16 lengths behind Panic Attack.

Sixth in this last year, he is now 8lb lower. This would be his 17th run at the track.

This son of Doctor Dino is thoroughly progressive and unexposed as a chaser, and his second behind Panic Attack in the Paddy Power last time out makes him one of the standout candidates for this race off just a 2lb higher mark.

He was unlucky not to win on his final run of last season too, looking the likely winner of the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury before Booster Bob came from the clouds.

Yet to finish outside of the first two over fences, if he can brush up on his jumping slightly, he will be a big player.

There will certainly be no fitness concerns should Will The Wise line up in this race. He has had three starts this season, his second in a beginners chase on his reappearance being followed by a comfortable victory at Galway and then a fourth-placed finish in the Troytown at Navan when stepped up to three miles.

This intermediate trip is probably just about right for him and the majority of wins have came in testing conditions, so connections are unlikely to want the track to dry out too much this week.

Pulled-up in the Paddy Power last time, Es Perfecto had previously finished fifth in the Jack Richard Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival having previously ran out the seven and a half-length winner at Sandown in handicap company.

If he can bounce back to the form he displayed before his run last time, then he holds each-way claims. May enjoy a return to better ground.

The son of Black Sam Bellamy finished third behind Panic Attack and the re-opposing Vincenzo in the Paddy Power last time, whom he has 5lb better off with at the weights here. That should, in theory, bring them close together.

He had previously filled the same position at the Showcase meeting when finishing behind Three Card Brag and Backmersackme.

He is a strong stayer at this trip, with wins over three miles to his name. He has also won on both good and soft ground.

Surely one of the most intriguing contenders for this race, Kim Roque finished second on his stable debut at Cheltenham last time out in a 2m4f handicap chase on the Old Course.

He had previously ran ten times for Daniela Mele in France, three of which came over fences, with one victory over the bigger obstacles. He is prone to the odd jumping error - he was not always fluent last time and he fell at Auteuil in May, but he could be on a decent mark and is a strong stayer. Good ground would be a concern.

Glengouly looks to be up against it here according to the bookmakers due to his recent form, but he does have some decent efforts on his CV. He ran well enough to finish fourth in a strongly run two-mile handicap chase on the Old Course at last month’s meeting here.

The return to more of a stamina test over a longer trip on the New Course could be what he is after and he is certainly well-handicapped on his Irish form.

It has been a long while, however, since he landed his one and only chase win, when he got off the mark at the first attempt over fences ahead of Telmesomethinggirl and Brides Hill at Thurles for Willie Mullins.

A more likely port of call may be the following race on the card, for which he is a best-priced 14-1.

Stay tuned for my prediction on Thursday morning.