ONE is a year too old, the other a year too young – but Imperial Commander and LONG RUN can battle it out in the totesport.com Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.20pm).
And the younger Long Run can just come out on top.
Only five 10-year-olds have landed the Festival blue riband in the past 40 years and none since Cool Dawn in 1998. Even fewer six-year-olds have scored and you have to go back to the mighty Mill House in 1963 for the last. But in a wide open renewal of the Gold Cup, the stats may go out the window.
Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old can go from third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup to Gold Cup star at Prestbury Park.
The French import was beaten at last year’s Festival in the RSA Chase and many have questioned his effectiveness at Cheltenham and also his jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.
But with each run both are getting better and better and he was exceptional when denying Kauto Star a fifth King George VI Chase at Kempton in January. In an open Gold Cup Long Run can take over from the old guard and give trainer Henderson a first success in the blue riband.
Imperial Commander will not give up his crown without a fight. He loves Cheltenham, having won there six times from 10 starts.He also won on his only start in the Betfair Chase at Haydock this season. But his preparation has been interrupted by injury and now a 10-year-old, he may just be a year too old.
Past winners Kauto Star and Denman are not getting any younger or better and although both will run big races, like last year they will be prone to up-and-coming rivals.
With the way Irish-trained horses have been running this week Willie Mullins’ Kempes and Noel Meade‘s Pandorama are talented individuals and could get involved in the finish. Pandorama would be a likely winner if the ground was soft. But with only some light rain predicted he won’t get it.
Henderson may already have landed a Grade One by the time the Gold Cup comes round with GRANDOUET in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm).
The Seven Barrows handler has a wonderful record at the Festival as a whole and has won the Triumph six times, including 12 months ago with Soldatino.
Second to Sam Winner in the Triumph Hurdle Trial over course and distance back in November, he built on that with two excellent wins at Newbury and Ascot.
He needs to step up again in this ultra-competitive contest. But he should be able to at the main expense of Dermo Weld’s Unaccompanied and the Alan King-trained Smad Place.
It could be a very big day for Henderson as ANQUETTA can land the race named his the trainer’s father, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (5.15pm).
The seven-year-old has won his last two races at Leicester and Sandown and off a low weight, he can make it three.
BABY RUN landed the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup (4pm) 12 months ago under trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies’ son Sam. And he can bring up back-to-back successes under another of the Nauton handler’s offspring William.
The 11-year-old has won well twice this season at Wetherby and Haydock under his new pilot. And despite the conditional jockey being just 16, he is a very capable rider and can steer Baby Run to another success.
Mullins’ GAGEWELL FLYER has a big chance in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.40pm).
He is unbeaten in three runs over hurdles in his homeland at Naas, Navan and Punchestown. This is his biggest test against the big British hopes, Court In Motion and Bob’s Worth. But he can hold off those two to claim the Grade One contest.
The Paul Nicholls-trained KING OF THE NIGHT has a chance in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (4.40pm) and ALARAZI can land the £75,000 Paddy Power bonus in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle (2.05pm) following up on his Imperial Cup win at Sandown.
CHELTENHAM (Day Four): 1.30pm Grandouet, 2.05pm Alarazi, 2.40pm Gagewell Flyer (NAP) 3.20pm (Cheltenham Gold Cup) 1 LONG RUN 2 Imperial Commander 3 Kempes 4pm Baby Run, 4.40pm King Of The Night, 5.15pm Anquetta. 4pm Baby Run, 4.40pm King Of The Night, 5.15pm Anquetta.
