TRAINER Keith Goldsworthy thinks Hold Em has a real live chance despite his 33-1 odds with the sponsors in tomorrow’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old managed to just get into the maximum 20-strong line-up at yesterday’s 48-hour final declaration stage.
He is 1lb out of the handicap, but ran well to finish third to Poquelin on this track last month.
Paul Nicholls’ Poquelin is as low as 8-1 with some firms and a best-priced 12-1 with Ladbrokes and Blue Square.
The discrepancy in price has amazed Goldsworthy and he said: “I’m a bit bemused why he’s 33-1. He was only a length and a half behind Paul Nicholls’ horse (Poquelin) there last month and he was only beaten eight lengths at Ascot last time when he didn’t quite stay the trip.
“He’s coming back in trip from Ascot and has an extra half-furlong from his last Cheltenham run and he has plenty of form with cut in the ground.
“We’ve got a good 10st jockey in Jamie Moore. We had been worried about that but he came along and we snapped him up.
“The horse is well, he has to take his chance. We believe he has a big handicap in him.
“I thought for a minute he wasn’t going to get in but he did and he’s nicely weighted. He has run well at Cheltenham in the past, except at the Festival when it came at the end of a long season for him. We are putting a tongue tie on him for the first time. I’m not convinced it is a problem, but we schooled him in it and we’ve worked him in it and he’s happy to take it.”
David Pipe’s Our Vic, who landed the Paddy Power in 2005, carries top weight, but owner David Johnson has a strong hand in his bid for a seventh success in the 2m4f Grade Three handicap with the Nicholls-trainer Chapoturgeon – a best-priced 7-1 with most firms – his main hope.
The five-year-old won the Jewson over course and distance at the Festival in March and Johnson said: “I think things may have fallen into place for him but there is a big question mark over the ground, it will probably ride soft and maybe even worse if the forecast is correct.
“That might possibly work against one or two of the other horses who are well-fancied.
“He’s got to improve quite a bit. He’s gone up 18lb since he won the Jewson last year and hopefully he’s improved that much – he won by 10 lengths that day.
“Paul (Nicholls) says he is in good shape, he has schooled very well and he acts on any ground.
“He appears to have improved at home – you only find out on a racecourse but Paul is extremely happy with him and everything has gone to plan.
“He’s got two other runners in the race of course, there are 17 others in there as well and there is Our Vic.
“He is not getting any younger and he had one or two little setbacks after beating Kauto Star, but David (Pipe) said he is fit and well and Eddie (Buckley) who rides him out says he has never been better.”
Meanwhile William Mullins’ high-class staying hurdler Fiveforthree will not run this season after failing to please his trainer.
The seven-year-old grey, who won the 2008 Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and Punchestown’s Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle in April, has not progress after a setback last season.
Mullins said: “We just decided not to go any further.
“We were hoping he would make it back for the second half of the season.
“Every other year he seems to come back, but he just hasn’t taken his training well. There is no further damage or injury. We have just decided it would be prudent not to continue.
“We won’t be in training but he will have light exercise.
“Hopefully he will have a full campaign next season and he will go chasing then.”
TODAY’S NAP: Windy Hills (2pm Newcastle).
