Il Ridoto looking for Paddy Power Gold Cup repeat

Last year’s winner Il Ridoto is among 16 horses confirmed for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The eight-year-old provided trainer Paul Nicholls with back-to-back wins in the prestigious handicap, having struck gold with Stage Star the previous season, and he is the 4-1 favourite with the sponsors to become the first horse to successfully defend his crown since Bradbury Star in the 1990s after finishing second on his seasonal reappearance at Chepstow last month.

Jagwar is a major contender for the training partnership of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. He carried the colours of JP McManus to two victories at Cheltenham last season, including success in the Festival Plate, and he has had this race as his comeback target for some time.

Title-chasing Dan Skelton has three potential runners in Panic Attack, Riskintheground and Hoe Joly Smoke, while Vincenzo is a major contender for Sam Thomas.

This year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup is being run in memory of the late Edward O’Grady, who saddled the last Irish-trained winner in Tranquil Sea (2009), and the raiding party look 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 Theatre Native are De Bromhead’s duo and Nolan has left in 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.