The 2021 Cheltenham Festival: Dave Nevison's best bets for Gold Cup day

I feel there could be much more to come, and I am hoping that Cheltenham on good to soft ground brings out the best in him.

Many feel this horse is overrated based on his Adonis win last time, feeling that the Kempton run may have highlighted a lack of tactical speed. I might agree based on that run alone, but I am happy with the overall impression he gave me in extending right away that day.

He enjoyed a very successful Flat campaign and was most consistent in top handicaps and Listed events throughout, and he can provide Alan King with his third win in this race this century.

He was beaten at odds-on last time, but that could well prove a blessing in disguise given that he is running in one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the season.

He might well have won that race at Musselburgh as well but for a very bad mistake at the last which gave him no chance to recover. He is a strong traveller and looks just the type who might improve for the faster pace of competitive handicaps, which will make it easier for his jockey to settle him.

He has shown that he loves a big field at this track when fourth in last year’s Champion Bumper, finishing within four lengths of Appreciate It. If he can transfer that form across to the hurdling game, a mark of 143 will be generous indeed.

While wishing we saw him more often, I am a fully paid-up member of his fan club. He is well suited by heavy ground, but he won last year’s race on good to soft and - if anything - I expect him to win by further this time.

He showed his wellbeing on his reappearance in the same Tramore event that preceded his two previous Gold Cup wins, and I have seen nothing among the usual suspects to think that they will improve past him.

He showed plenty of speed up the Tramore hill and I feel that will prove too much for Royale Pagaille, who looks a real stayer in bottomless ground and will find this different to the handicaps he has been in. I am still not convinced that Champ’s jumping will withstand this extremely stern test and feel that both his latest runs might make him look better than he actually is. For me the danger could well be A Plus Tard, who landed a massive gamble here in 2019 and improved again stepped up in trip in the Savills Chase at Christmas.

I wore out the return key on my computer waiting for confirmation that this horse had made the cut here, setting in motion the £50,000 bonus bid after his facile win in the Imperial Cup last weekend.

The Sandown race may not have been the most competitive renewal, but he strolled home from some decent handicappers with much more in hand than the 5lb penalty he has now.

I don’t like the phrase ‘playing with bookies money’, but I backed him in that race because I actually thought he had been laid out for this one so it does seem almost like a free bet. My views of Dan Skelton as a target trainer have been often repeated, and I am more than happy to stick with him even in a much more competitive event.