Cheltenham tips: Our pundits’ Cheat Sheet for Paddy Power Gold Cup day

Scriptwriter was decent on the Flat and has every chance of following up a Sedgefield success.

Blueking D’oroux has very good form against one of the best horses in France. With War Correspondent in here too we should get a good handle on the juveniles.

Scriptwriter has won his only start over hurdles at Sedgefield and he’s well in with the handicapper. Milton Harris and Paddy Brennan had a great season last time out and they can go well here.

Mr Freedom would have dotted up at Wetherby last time but for effectively being forced out at the penultimate obstacle and he looks great each-way value with the ground to suit.

SCRIPTWRITER looked a good prospect in overcoming inexperience to make a successful hurdling debut at Sedgefield last month and is selected to take this grade step up in his stride.

Castle Robin stays very well and has each-way claims after a moderate pipe-opener at Kelso on seasonal debut.

Valsheda was a winner at Ffos Las over 3 miles and has been schooling well ahead of this amatuer handicap. William Biddick rides and they should go well.

Didero Vallis has a chance. Once trained by Willie Mullins, he’s been with Venetia Williams for a while now. He was third in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival behind Chambard and Mister Coffey and is well rated.

Castle Robin (each-way) won a handicap hurdle at this meeting in 2020, and has taken well to fences. He may have just needed the run on his return at Kelso, and if cheekpieces are any help at all, he should be hard to keep out of the places.

ANIGHTINLAMBOURN had her winning run ended in a similar event over course and distance three weeks ago, but she went like the best horse at the weights and remains very much one to be interested in.

This is a belter. MONMIRAL has always looked a chasing type but lacks experience of fences. That said, he has the best hurdling form of this lot and I’ll take the chance he can make a winning chase debut.

Tommy’s Oscar is the highest rated hurdler in the field and jumped super when winning at Carlisle on chasing debut. The slower the ground, the better his chance.

From what I hear, there are some doubts over Monmiral’s jumping so I’m tentatively siding with Tommy’s Oscar, who impressed when winning at Carlisle last month. Like Banbridge too, and he could outstay them.

Banbridge will make this a test but one who also looks assured in that department is Tommy’s Oscar, who impressed when winning on his chase bow at Carlisle, and who has very smart hurdles form at this trip.

A fascinating novice chase but it’s hard to side against TOMMY’S OSCAR who made into a very smart hurdler last term and put in an assured round of jumping when making a winning chase debut at Carlisle last time out.

FRENCH DYNAMITE must have a great chance with a bit of luck. The seven-year-old is lightly raced for Mouse Morris with a good win record of six victories from 15 starts, has a cracking record in races with over 10 runners and is versatile as regards trip.

Simply The Betts has a great each-way chance and always runs well at Cheltenham. He’s owned by David Maxwell now who also rides him and he looks to tick a lot of boxes.

French Dynamite ticks a lot of boxes for me. He has the pace to win over 2m2f and he has the stamina to win over 2m7f. He also had a brilliant run at Punchestown over 2m5f behind El Barra. That was an outstanding run and he looks to have it all.

Stolen Silver ticks plenty of the right boxes and easily beat Simply The Betts and Coole Cody in April here. He’s on a career high mark now and lacks a recent run but trainer Sam Thomas’ yard is flying.

STOLEN SILVER gets the nod to land the prize on return. He powered to the line when landing the Silver Trophy on his final start in April, and a 7lb higher mark ought not prevent another bold bid in this early-season feature. 

If former Stayers’ Hurdle hero LISNAGAR OSCAR is ever going to bounce back to form then this handicap is the chance to do it. He’s up against quite a few chasers going back hurdling here and is down to a very workable mark of 142.

SHEARER was a good winner at this venue last time out and the one he beat has won since. Fontana Ellissi could be an each-way play for some value.

Shearer has a chance but I like Sidi Ismael. He won well at Worcester last time out which was his first run since his wind operation. He’s only gone up 5lbs for that and has form over the trip. He’s back to the horse he was last year.

Jatiluwih finished lame on his most recent chase start, but is a superior hurdler and has been given a chance with the handicapper dropping him 10lb since last running over hurdles in the 2020 Pertemps Final.

ON THE BLIND SIDE disappointed on three of his four starts last season but his reappearance effort in the Long Distance Hurdle 12 months ago was a very solid effort.  Having landed this race on his respective return from a 1lb higher mark back in 2020, he could be worth chancing in a decidedly tricky puzzle. 

WISEGUY is very interesting off 119 for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville. My hope is very likely a improver this term and looked a strong stayer as a novice. Could be well in here.

Top weight Nickle Back looks too big a price for me given his form and profile. He’s looks a cracking each-way chance.

Wiseguy didn’t particularly impress me at Doncaster last time out so I’m with Unanswered. He bolted up at Punchestown earlier this year and he was second twice at the Galway Festival He ran in October and looks lined up to win.

Unanswered looks absolutely thrown in here given his rapid progress on the Flat this summer, and he ran a huge race from a poor draw at the Curragh late last month. He’s unexposed as a hurdler.

Tony Martin’s UNANSWERED is very interesting at the foot of the weights back hurdling for the first time since his Punchestown win in May. This is a much better race than that one but his Flat form suggests his mark in this sphere could still be very workable.