Paul Townend: guide to my rides on Gold Cup Day

It’s one of the biggest days in our sport – Cheltenham Gold Cup day, and it’s a race that every single jockey dreams of winning. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a bit of success in the race, and winning any Gold Cup is a huge achievement for everybody involved.

We’re obviously gutted that Galopin Des Champs picked up that knock and couldn’t make the race this year, and his record on this day is there for all to see, but it is a real shame for all the team that he won’t be here this year.

Another busy day for us, though, as you’d expect, and I start off with a lovely filly called Selma De Vary  in the Triumph. She showed a huge amount of promise on her first start for us at Leopardstown behind Narciso Has, and should have improved plenty for that. Her work has been good, and I believe she’s travelled over well, so everything is positive with regards to her at the moment.

I’d probably just advise having a look at how she handles the preliminaries before getting involved, but if we get down to start quietly enough, then she can run a huge race. Proactif is a very worthy favourite, and although the McManus team were dealt that blow with Narciso Has missing the race, he’s certainly not a bad backup to have.

Then my first (and only) ride in a handicap this week with Karbau in the County Hurdle. It was a tough decision between him and Murcia, but his work at home just particularly caught my eye, and if we get the rain that’s forecast, then he might be happier on that sort of ground than the mare. If the ground is quick, then Murcia would have a huge chance, but I’m just hoping that I’ve picked the right one.

You generally have to be a very good horse to win this, and we’ve managed to win it with Wicklow Brave, Arctic Fire, State Man & Kargese, who all made up into Grade 1 horses, so I’d be a bit embarrassed if I’d have got beaten on any of them!

We then have Spindleberry in the Mares’ Chase, and I suspect she’ll be much happier back against her own sex after disappointing in the Irish Gold Cup last time. Dinoblue is rock solid, and she just does what she does, but if she was on an off day, then hopefully this mare could be there to pick up the pieces. 

You’d have a great deal of respect for Panic Attack for the Skelton’s, and she’s had a phenomenal season, but you’d just be concerned this trip would be sharp enough for her. I’m hoping Spindleberry will give Dinoblue something to think about, but I do think the favourite will be a tough nut to crack.

The Albert Bartlett, like most years, looks very competitive, but I’m looking forward to riding Doctor Steinberg who brings a really solid level of form to the race. He’s probably surprised us every time he’s got to the track, but I was only ever going to ride him in this once he was declared. He was a tad keen the last day, and that would be my only concern, but hopefully I can get him settled, and as long as I do, then I think he has a massive chance.

Thedeviluno is probably the biggest danger to us as he brings a good level of form to the race. I thought Sean O’Keefe was excellent on him the last day, and he’d have a big chance if improving again from that. Espresso Milan is another who has improved throughout the year, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran a big race.

It’s then onto the blue-riband event of the week – The Cheltenham Gold Cup, and although it’s one of the most open Gold Cups that I can remember, I can’t wait to ride Gaelic Warrior  for the first time in the race. Any rain that comes in is going to help him more than any other horse in the race, so I’ll be hoping that the forecast is correct on that front. He ran a cracker on good ground in the King George, but I’d say he’d have the beating of those horses with a bit of cut in the ground, so hopefully we can reverse the form with The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie.

The trip is a bit of an unknown, and you just don’t know until you try it, but if I can get him relaxed, then I don’t think it will be a problem. He’s a hardy horse, and I know for a fact he won’t lie down without a battle, so I think he’s the pick of the race.

All the talk is about how Inothewayurthinkin has turned things around, so you’d have to respect him, but you’d struggle to make a case for him based on what he’s done on the track this season. Haiti Couleurs is a horse I’d have a lot of respect for, for Rebecca Curtis. He’s done very little wrong of late, and he’s a strong stayer, so I could see him being a big danger, but it would mean the world to us if we could win a Gold Cup with Gaelic Warrior, and I think he goes there with an outstanding chance.