Carl Hinchy hoping Riders Onthe Storm can strike in Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

Part-owner Carl Hinchy is excited to see Riders Onthe Storm bid for glory in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday week.

Formerly a high-class performer in Ireland for trainer Tom Taaffe, the six-year-old changed hands for £50,000 at the Goffs UK Spring Sale in May and was subsequently sent to Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Riders Onthe Storm made an excellent start for his new connections when landing a lucrative prize at Aintree in early November – and despite a 13lb rise in the weights, Hinchy is hopeful he can continue his progress at Prestbury Park.

He said: “Riders Onthe Storm is in good form and the plan is for him to head to Cheltenham.

“It was great to see the form from his victory at Aintree boosted when the third, Oldgrangewood, won at Newbury last week.

“We expect him to have improved plenty for his first run. Nigel’s horses tend to come on from their first outing and, whilst he will have to improve given his rise in the weights, we are hopeful of a big run."

Riders Onthe Storm has been allotted 11st 4lb for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

The weights are currently headed by Kalashnikov, although his trainer Amy Murphy has already cast doubt over his participation, with the Newmarket handler not keen on the idea of running her stable star under the burden of 11st 12lb.

Other contenders include Kerry Lee’s BetVictor Gold Cup heroine Happy Diva (11st). She could bid to become the fourth horse to do the double after Pegwell Bay (1988), Senor El Betrutti (1997) and Exotic Dancer (2006).

Seven other horses who ran in the BetVictor Gold Cup have also been entered, including the runner-up Brelan D'As (10st 8lb, Paul Nicholls) and third Warthog (9st 11lb, David Pipe) plus eighth home Guitar Pete (10st 6lb, Nicky Richards), winner of the 2017 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

Other contenders include Cepage (11st 6lb, Venetia Williams), who was second to Riders Onthe Storm at Aintree, recent Ascot winner Capeland (11st 4lb, Paul Nicholls) and unexposed novice chaser Not That Fuisse (9st 10lb, Dan Skelton).