All the main gamers have stood their floor as 23 stay within the hunt for a wide-open Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday following Monday’s confirmations.
The sponsors had been unable to separate issues on the high of the market on Monday lunchtime, with Full Unknown their 7/1 joint-favourite after Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old completed second to Gerri Colombe at Aintree within the spring earlier than getting the higher of May I on his return to motion at Newton Abbot.
Becoming a member of him on the head of the betting is John McConnell’s Colin Parker Chase runner-up Mahler Mission, with Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown additionally within the combine for Eire judged on his earlier raiding efforts final time period. Francis Casey’s Max Flamingo is one other poised to cross the Irish Sea.
“All the market principals remain in contention for Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup, and in what promises to be a classy and competitive renewal, we can’t split Complete Unknown for the champion trainer Paul Nicholls, and the Irish raider Mahler Mission, at the head of our betting,” stated Coral’s David Stevens.
Others of actual curiosity embody Jonjo O’Neill’s Monbeg Genius, who upset at Ascot final month however noticed the type of his Cheltenham Competition third within the Ultima obtain one other increase when Fastorslow claimed Punchestown’s John Durkan on Sunday.
David Pipe’s Remastered has unfinished enterprise with this contest, falling when going nicely in 2021 earlier than returning to complete a close-up second 12 months in the past.
Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor is about to shoulder top-weight dropping into handicap firm after fluffing his strains at Wetherby on his return.
Dan Skelton’s Midnight River was nicely held in that Charlie Corridor Chase and is one among two for the handler, together with Sail Away, making an attempt to provide him back-to-back victories in a race received by Le Milos 12 months in the past.
Additionally among the many confirmations are Nicky Henderson’s Dusart, straightforward Chepstow winner Stolen Silver and 2021 Coral Gold Cup hero Cloudy Glen, representing the Betfair Chase-winning Venetia Williams operation.
In the meantime, officers on the Berkshire monitor are persevering with to observe circumstances forward of a variable week, though clerk of the course George Hill is optimistic that regardless of a number of potential challenges, there shall be no main menace to the assembly.
Hill stated: “We’re at the moment good to smooth on the chase course and good to smooth, smooth in locations, on the hurdles monitor. We had 4mm of rain in a single day.
“The forecast is a bit variable between now and Saturday and there are lots of different outcomes which we will just continue to monitor and see how the latest models are looking like as we move through the next 24 hours.
“It is a bit early to inform [if the meeting would be in danger] actually, to be trustworthy. There may be wintery showers in there and frost dangers – a number of issues, actually.
“It’s too early to say, but we’re still in November and there will be mild, wet nights and mild enough afternoons. So, we will just keep an eye on the forecast and react accordingly.”