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A strong entry of 52 (up from 45 in 2014) is unveiled today for the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, the highlight of The Open, which takes place at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 14.
Founded in 1960, the prestigious two and a half-mile handicap chase is the first major contest of the Jump season.
Trainer David Pipe sent out the 2011 Paddy Power Gold Cup victor Great Endeavour, while his father Martin was responsible for a record eight winners of the race between 1987 and 2005. There are four entries from the Nicholashayne stable, on the Devon/Somerset border, this year including Paddy Power's 7/1 favourite Kings Palace, who won three of his four starts over fences last season including two races at Cheltenham.
Pipe has also entered Monetaire (10/1 with Paddy Power), who was runner-up in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at The Festival in March, the 2013 StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle victor Dell' Arca (20/1) and La Vaticane (25/), a multiple winner in France.
Cheltenham staged its first meeting of the new season, The Showcase, on October 23 and 24. One of the feature races on October 24 was the two-mile winner.co.uk Handicap Chase, which saw Boondooma (12/1) gain a comfortable three-length victory. The eight-year-old looks a progressive performer and his trainer Dr Richard Newland is keen to return to the Home of Jump Racing for the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Worcestershire-based Newland said: "Boondooma came out of his win at the weekend well and the plan is to come back to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
"I was very pleased to see him settle better in his race on Saturday. I think two and a half miles should work for him, providing he doesn't do too much in the first half of the race.
"I think softer ground suits him best. He is up to 154 in the ratings now, which is a bit scary, but I think this year's Paddy Power Gold Cup looks likely to attract some good horses at the top of the handicap."
Also on the 12/1 mark is Present View (Jamie Snowden), a close third in 2014, while Johns Spirit (Jonjo O'Neill, 14/1) finished the head runner-up last year having won the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2013.
Others on offer at 14/1 with Paddy Power are Oscar Rock (Malcolm Jefferson), who is set to head straight to the race following an impressive Listed win at Market Rasen last month, and Irish Cavalier (Rebecca Curtis), who landed the Listed CHAPS Restaurants Barbados Novices' Handicap Chase at The Festival last season and won on his seasonal return in an intermediate chase at Newton Abbot on October 9.
Two other Festival winners from 2015 who could attempt further success at Cheltenham are Darna (Kim Bailey, 25/1), who landed the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate, and Next Sensation (Michael Scudamore, 25/1), successful in the A P McCoy Grand Annual Handicap Chase.
Last year's Paddy Power Gold Cup went the way of the Caid Du Berlais, who gave trainer Paul Nicholls his second winner of the race following Al Ferof in 2012. The champion Jump trainer has made seven entries this time around including Sound Investment (16/1), who landed the Grade Two Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 25. Nicholls' other entries are likely top-weight Mr Mole (20/1) dual Grade Two scorer Ptit Zig (20/1), Art Mauresque (20/1), Vibralto Valtat (25/1), Easter Day (25/1) and Salubrious (25/1)
Ireland has won the Paddy Power Gold Cup five times, most recently with Tranquil Sea in 2009. There are eight Irish-trained entries in 2015. Four of these hail from the all-conquering Willie Mullins yard including the Grade One winner Gitane Du Berlais (25/1), the 2014 RSA Chase fourth Ballycasey (20/1) and recent impressive Limerick handicap scorer Devils Bride (25/1).Other Irish-trained entries include Shanpallas (Charlies Byrnes, 25/1), a close sixth in 2014, and the Gordon Elliott-trained Clarcam (201/1), successful in Grade One company at Aintree in April.
No current trainer can boast a better Paddy Power Gold Cup record than locally-based Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has won the race three times. The Naunton handler has five entries this year, headed by 2013 December Gold Cup winner Double Ross (20/1), dual Cheltenham scorer Splash Of Ginge (20/1) and Little Jon (20/1), who was sixth behind Irish Cavalier at The Festival.
Weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, for which a maximum field of 20 can go to post, will be revealed on Wednesday, November 4.
Simon Claisse, Regional Head of Racing, South West, & Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course, commented: "The Paddy Power Gold Cup goes from strength to strength and its popularity is demonstrated by the strong entries we have received this year. I am delighted the race has been so well supported and look forward to this year's renewal on November 14."
Paddy Power added: "The great thing about the race is it's not just a handicap - it's a high-class Cheltenham handicap. Every year we have horses running with ambitious plans ahead and this time the favourite Kings Palace probably has the ultimate goal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Monetaire could easily be a Ryanair Chase horse."
Entries for the other main feature contest at The Open, the £100,000 StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle, run on Sunday, November 15, will be revealed tomorrow, Thursday, October 29.
The Open takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 13 to November 15. Cheltenham's exciting new £45-million grandstand, The Princess Royal Stand, will officially be opened on the first day of The Open, Friday, November 13, by The Princess Royal.
Paddy Power Gold Cup, Paddy Power bet: 7/1 Kings Palace; 10/1 Monetaire; 12/1 Present View, Boondooma; 14/1 Johns Spirit, Oscar Rock, Irish Cavalier; 16/1 Sound Investment, Cocktails At Dawn, Thomas Crapper, Buywise; 20/1 Taquin du Seuil, Splash of Ginge, Mr Mole, Ballycasey, Little Jon, Dell Arca, Ptit Zig, Double Ross, Art Mauresque, Clarcam, Generous Ransom, Annacotty; 25/1 Ericht, Easter Day, Devils Bride, Shanpallas, La Vaticane, Darna, Salubrious, Croco Bay, The Giant Bolster, Next Sensation, Third Intention, Turn Over Sivola, Gitane du Berlais, Vibrato Valtat; 33/1 Pumped Up Kicks, Upepito, Sew On Target, Alelchi Inois, Horizontal Speed, Cloud Creeper, Astracad, No Buts, Texas Jack, The Clock Leary, Bennys Mist; 40/1 Tara Road, Minella Present; 50/1 African Gold, Bless The Wings