Gentlemansgame can cause an upset in Cheltenham Gold Cup

Today is the biggest day of the year on the National Hunt calendar and the Irish look like finishing out the 2024 festival in style.

Willie Mullins horses again dominate the market in the first race of the day, the Triumph Hurdle, and we're siding with Bunting, who has been well backed this morning. He was doing his best work at the end of the Grade One at Leopardstown and won his maiden on Soft/Heavy conditions at Limerick.

The Albert Barlett can provide Mullins with another Grade One victory. There was plenty to like about the performance of Reading Tommy Wrong in the Lalors of Naas race and he looks like a proper stayer. Gidleigh Park has done nothing wrong for Harry Fry and looks the best of the English challengers.

Gentlemansgame from the Mouse Morris yard could be the each way value in the Gold Cup this afternoon. Pic: Sportsfile

The Gold Cup is all about Galopin De Champs and he looks a worthy favourite to go back-to-back in the big race of the week. However, even money is a very short price in a race that is always full of incident and it may be worth chancing Gentlemansgame from the Mouse Morris yard at a big price. This lightly raced 8-year-old lacks experience but he has already lowered the colours of last year's second Bravemansgame and he looks like a dour stayer who could be doing his best work coming up the hill. Darragh O'Keeffe will take the ride and he could be worth an each-way play in a fascinating race.

The last graded race of the festival is the Mares Chase and while Dinoblue is a worthy favourite, Brides Hill from the Gavin Cromwell yard has been in great form all season and she looks good each way value at around 16-1.

The three handicaps on the final day will take a bit of sorting out. Magical Zoe looks to have a great each way chance in the County Hurdle for Henry De Bromhead. She was second here last year to Youwearitwell in the Mares Hurdle and has she has three lovely runs under her belt this season. The Hunters Chase looks like a match race between It On The Line and Ferns Lock with slight preference for the latter, while in the final race of the festival, the Martin Pipe Hurdle, go with the talented Betterdaysahead for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy.

TIPS

1.30 – Bunting

2.10 – Magical Zoe

2.50 – Reading Tommy Wrong (nap)

3.30 - Gentlemansgame

4.10 – Ferns Lock

4.50 – Brides Hill

5.30 – Brighterdaysahead