2024 bet365 Gold Cup contenders: assessing the key runners for the big race on Saturday
The bet365 Gold Cup (3.35) takes place at Sandown on Saturday as an enthralling 2023-24 jumps season draws to a close. Here we go through the form of the leading contenders and produce an early verdict on who will come out on top.
Kitty’s Light
Form: 470575
Strengths: A popular eight-year-old who gained the most recent of his seven career wins in this race last year, justifying 11-4 favouritism to follow up the previous week’s Scottish Grand National success.
He has not added to his tally in six starts this season but comes into this on the back of a fine fifth in the Grand National, where he jumped the last well in contention before fading on the run-in.
The better ground will suit him and last year showed he can handle a quick turnaround between races.
Weaknesses: He comes into this race 5lb above last year’s winning mark and will likely require a career-best performance to land this.
Odds: 4-1
Threeunderthrufive
Form: 84-221
Strengths: A Grade 2-winning novice chaser who wasn’t beaten far when a 16-1 fourth behind Kitty’s Light in last year’s Scottish Grand National.
He finished second in a pair of Grade 3 handicap chases earlier this season before gaining his first win in over two years when carrying 12st to victory at Ascot in February.
The forecast good ground conditions will suit and his form figures under Saturday’s expected rider Harry Cobden read 2221.
Weaknesses: A 4lb rise for his Ascot win puts him on a career-high mark.
Odds: 7-1
Nick Rockett
Form: 1-4127
Strengths: He ran out a comfortable seven-length winner of a beginners chase at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, where he had his now 149-rated stablemate Tactical Move directly behind, and creditable performances behind the likes of Corbetts Cross and American Mike flank that win.
He performed better than the bare result when seventh (beaten 30 lengths) in the Irish Grand National earlier this month, where he travelled well before fading late in the testing conditions.
He represents the all-conquering Willie Mullins, who is bidding for his third major British staying handicap chase success in as many weeks.
Weaknesses: He is light on experience with just four chase starts to his name and could do with brushing up on his jumping.
Odds: 8-1
Amirite
Form: U3P-45
Strengths: He had some smart novice chase form to his name last season and was sent off the 11-2 favourite for last year’s Irish Grand National, ultimately finishing pulled up behind I Am Maximus.
He has been seen only twice this season, finishing fourth (despite his saddle slipping) at Cheltenham in October before a fifth-placed finish in a competitive handicap chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
He has been saved for better ground since Leopardstown and, as a result, comes into this race a fresh horse. He also shapes as though he has a major staying handicap chase in him.
Weaknesses: His only win over fences came in a beginners chase at Fairyhouse back in October 2022.
Odds: 10-1
Minella Cocooner
Form: -31363
Strengths: A Grade 1-winning novice hurdler who was absent for over a year before finishing a distant third behind Fact To File at Leopardstown in December.
He was a winner next time out at Navan in January and comes into this race on the back of a fine third in the Irish Grand National, where he finished just four lengths behind Intense Raffles.
Getting back on some better ground won’t inconvenience him and he remains unexposed over distances beyond three miles.
Weaknesses: He runs off a 3lb higher mark than at Fairyhouse which asks for more from him.
Odds: 10-1
How about the remainder?
Le Milos is winless since claiming the 2022 Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, but he is now just 3lb above that winning mark and is back over fences for the first time since last year’s Grand National. His recent performances over hurdles have left a bit to be desired, but he was backed as though better was expected from him in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last time out.
Kinondo Kwetu made a promising return to action when fourth at Aintree on Grand National day and the good ground is in his favour. He is yet to race beyond 3m2f but a mark of 144 looks workable.
Weveallbeencaught has not quite kicked on as he had once promised to, but his sixth in last month’s Ultima at Cheltenham, on ground softer than ideal, was a respectable performance. He could sneak into this off a low weight and remains open to improvement over fences.
Verdict
This looks like a good opportunity for Nick Rockett, who finished just five lengths off Corbetts Cross on his chasing debut before comfortably accounting for a subsequent Grade 1-placed stablemate at Fairyhouse. Those performances suggest that a mark of 147 has the potential to underestimate him. Kitty’s Light will no doubt have his supporters but the bigger danger to the selection may be the fellow Irish raider Amirite, who comes into this a fresh horse.
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