- A Plus Tard and Tornado Flyer bids for Gold Cup glory
By Andrew Atkinson
The Grade 1 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup with a winning purse of £351,000 up for grabs is the feature race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival on Friday.
Henry de Bromhead trained A Plus Tard (3.30) ridden by Rachael Blackmore is tipped, with Tornado Flyer trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Danny Mullins worthy of each-way support.
Minella Indo goes to post in the 10 runners field in a bid to win back-to-back Gold Cup’s for de Bromhead, with Robbie Power up.
Gordon Elliott, who won the Gold Cup in 2016 with Don Cossack, saddles well-backed Galvin, who defeated A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase in December.
Willie Mullins also saddles dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo, Asterion Forlonge and Tornado Flyer, with Dan Skelton trained Protektorat, winner of the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December, and Nicky Henderson trained Chantry House amongst the runners.
Racing gets underway with the JCB Triumph Hurdle with Willie Mullins trained Vauban (1.30), ridden by Paul Townend, tipped to win the £75,000 first prize. Porticello (12-1) is tipped each-way.
Nigel Twiston-Davies saddles I Like To Move It (2.10) in the McCoy Contractors G3 Handicap Hurdle, under Sam Twiston-Davies, tipped each-way, noted when going under by a short head at Newbury last month.
Willie Mullins trained State Man, with Paul Townend up, is worthy of each-way support in the 28 runners field that has a winner’s purse of £56,000.
Minella Cocooner (2.50) 8-1 trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend is tipped each-way in the 19 runners Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle over 2m 7f.
Dermot Weld saddles Falcon Eight under Mark Walsh priced at 16-1 and worth an each-way punt. Duo, Ginto and Hillcrest, two of the leading Novice aces this season are noted runners going to post.
Bob And Co (4.10) trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Mr D. Maxwell and Pont Aven are tipped each-way in the 20 runners St James’s Palace Festival Challenge Cup over 3m 2f.
Willie Mullins saddles Elimay (4.50) ridden by Mark Walsh, tipped to land the Mrs Paddy Power G2 Chase over 2m 4f, with £67,524 up for grabs.
Dan Skelton trained Langer Dan (5.30) under Lorcan Williams and Joseph O’Brien trained Banbridge are tipped each-way in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle over 2m 4f, amongst 24 runners going to post for the finale race of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
Boodles G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30) 3m 2f £351,000 first prize.
Al Boum Photo Paul Townend
A Plus Tard Rachael Blackmore
Asterion Forlonge Bryan Cooper
Aye Right Callum Bewley
Chantry House Nico de Boinville
Galvin Davy Russell
Minella Indo Robbie Power
Protektorat Harry Skelton
Royale Pagaille Charlie Deutsch
Santini Nick Scholfield
Tornado Flyer Danny Mullins
JCB G1 Triumph Hurdle (1.30) 2 miles. £75,000 first prize.
Ages Of Man Jonathan Moore
Doctor Parnassus Harry Skelton
Fil Dor Jack Kennedy
Icare Allen Mark Walsh
Il Etait Temps Danny Mullins
Knight Salute Paddy Brennan
Koi Dodville Tom Scudamore
Lunar Power Sean Flanagan
Pied Piper Davy Russell
Porticello Jamie Moore
Teddy Blue Josh Moore
Vauban Paul Townend
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL fromthehorsesmouth.info selections: 1.30 Vauban. Porticello (ew). 2.10 I Like To Move It (ew). State Man (ew). 2.50 Minella Cocooner (ew). Falcon Light (ew). 3.30 A Plus Tard. Tornado Flyer (ew). 4.10 Bob And Co (ew). Pont Aven (ew). 4.50 Elimay. 5.30 Langer Dan (ew). Banbridge (ew).
