Coole Cody was far from fluent on his way around Cheltenham, but he pulled off something of a surprise in the Paddy Power Gold Cup under stand-in jockey Tom O’Brien for trainer Evan Williams. Sent off at 10/1, but you could have had far bigger odds in the days leading up to the race, the nine-year-old sneaked in at the foot of weights against some lauded rivals. Spare a thought for regular ride Adam Wedge who picked up an injury at home prior to this big day. Coole Cody made most of the running once Siruh Du Lac overjumped at the first fence and unseated his rider on his first start for David Pipe, and Simply The Betts – the pick of many tipsters – failed to fire.
He didn’t get particularly high over the obstacles, but that didn’t seem to matter. Happy Diva, the previous winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, took a fall at the second last when still staying on. Saint Sonnet, the ante post favourite for the race, also took a tired tumble when beaten. Mister Fisher didn’t go on the softening ground and was one of six pulled up. That left the prominent Coole Cody finding plenty out in front, holding last year’s sixth Spiritofthegames at 14/1 for Harry and Dan Skelton by 3 ¼ lengths. The well-backed 5/1 favourite and locally trained Al Dancer was beaten a further length in third with 50/1 outsider Kauto Riko next ahead of the fading 10/1 chance Sky Pirate with only seven of the 16 runners finishing.
The big betting race over fences of Cheltenham’s November Meeting has had a number of sponsors down the years. Originally called the Mackeson Gold Cup after the popular stout ale, it later became the Paddy Power Gold Cup from 2003 to 2015. BetVictor took over sponsorship for four seasons from 2016 to 2019, with the race known then as the BetVictor Gold Cup. Paddy Power are once again partnered with this Grade 3 handicap chase in 2020, however, so the name reverts back to the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
It is run during Cheltenham’s November meeting over 2 miles 4½ furlongs, making it an ideal trial for the Ryanair Chase which is staged over the same distance. Since 2005 when the race replaced the Cathcart, seven BetVictor Gold Cup winners have gone on to run in the Ryanair with Imperial Commander managing to win the event in 2009.
This is a handicap race with Grade 3 status, and in 2021 it will be staged on Saturday November 13th and is worth a total of £160,000. Check Cheltenham betting deals for the Gold Cup and other Festival or trial races to get the best bang for the buck!
Coming soon
Coming soon
Statistics form the backbone of helping you to make better betting decision, especially when it comes to a big field handicap chase like the Paddy Power (formerly Betvictor) Gold Cup. These trends are well worth paying attention to and noting down before you decide to take a punt:
Here’s a look at the past BetVictor Gold Cup winners and how they fared at the big March meeting:
Coming soon