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A bumper field of 20 runners has been declared for the Paddy Power Gold Cup – and Dan Skelton saddles the leading fancy.
PROTEKTORAT, a course-and-distance winner after claiming the Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at last year’s November Meeting, will have to defy joint-top weight to land the Grade 3 handicap chase, however.
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The progressive six-year-old, who boasts a cracking record of three wins from five starts over fences, is joined in carrying 11st 12lbs by 2020 Cheltenham Festival winner SIMPLY THE BETTS but it’s LALOR, on his first start for Paul Nicholls, and the lightly weighted GALAHAD QUEST that have the punters excited.
Paddy’s spokesman Paul Binfield said: “It’s marvellous to have 20 runners meaning there is a lovely each-way feel to this famous race and in the build-up Lalor and Galahad Quest have been the two best-backed horses having originally been 20-1 and 33-1 respectively when we first priced it in late October.”
COOLE CODY was successful in last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup from the bottom end of the weights but is 4lbs worse off this time. On that day, AL DANCER was sent off as the 5/1 favourite but came home in third, however, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ charge is now 5lbs better off in the ratings.
2018 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle winner NIETZSCHE has snuck in and will hope to recapture the form that saw him win a Listed handicap chase at Ayr in April.
Paddy Power Gold Cup Runners and Riders
Simply The Betts (11-12) Bryony Frost
Protektorat (11-12) Harry Skelton
Aso (11-11) Charlie Deutsch
Paint The Dream (11-10) Connor Brace
Al Dancer (11-7) Sam Twiston-Davies
Lalor (11-7) Harry Cobden
Caribean Boy (11-6) Daryl Jacob
Midnight Shadow (11-5) Ryan Mania
Spiritofthegames (11-2) Bridget Andrews
Manofthemountain (11-2) Tom Bellamy
Zanza (11-2) Tom O’Brien
Dostal Phil (11-0) Aidan Coleman
Coole Cody (10-13) Adam Wedge
Up The Straight (10-10) Tabitha Worsley
Belargus (10-10) Niall Houlihan
Deyrann De Carjac (10-9) Tom Cannon
Funky Dady (10-8) Shane Mulcahy
Galahad Quest (10-7) David Noonan
Farinet (10-6) Robbie Dunne
Nietzsche (10-5) Danny McMenamin
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