Confirmed runners and riders for Saturday's December Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Thunder Rock will take on 11 rivals in Saturday's Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase (1.50). The Olly Murphy-trained seven-year-old has some eyecatching form, having chased home Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino in a Grade 2 at Ayr in April and beaten the runner-up in that prestigious Newbury handicap, Mahler Mission, in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle last time.

Thunder Rock was also sixth behind The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and third behind the same rival in the Dipper Novices' Chase on New Year's Day, over the same trip as Saturday's race.

Fugitif has form figures of 2224 at Cheltenham and bids to reverse the form from last month's Paddy Power Gold Cup, when he finished fourth and was beaten four lengths by the third-home Il Ridoto. The latter, trained by Paul Nicholls, landed a similar valuable handicap over course and distance off 5lb lower on Trials day, but his jockey that day Harry Cobden has elected to partner his Grade 1-winning stablemate Monmiral. Bryony Frost comes in for the ride on Il Ridoto.

Mick Winters landed the £130,000 prize in 2020 with Chatham Street Lad and the JP McManus-owned pair of So Scottish and Fakir D'Oudairies bid to provide the latest Irish-trained winner of the race.

Torn And Frayed struck over this track and trip in January last year but fell on his first start for 658 days in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The Joe Donnelly-owned Shanagh Bob has been declared for the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3.00) for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville. The five-year-old made a successful debut under rules at Plumpton last time and steps up in trip and class against previous hurdle winners Destroytheevidence, Yes Day and Kerryhill.

Protektorat was last of four when defending his Betfair Chase crown at Haydock last month but Dan Skelton's Grade 1 winner is an intriguing runner as he heads the weights for the Favourite From The Sun Now Daily Handicap Chase (2.25). He is preparing for a tilt at the Grade 2 Fleur De Lys Chase, worth £165,000, at Lingfield's Winter Million meeting next month.

Protektorat takes on Broadway Boy and Malina Girl, who both won at Cheltenham's November meeting last time, on his first start in a handicap since finishing second in the 2021 Paddy Power Gold Cup.

December Gold Cup runners and riders

Fakir D'Oudairies Jonjo O'Neill Jr
Fugitif Gavin Sheehan
Thunder Rock Sean Bowen
Monmiral Harry Cobden
Il Ridoto Bryony Frost
So Scottish Mark Walsh
Jay Jay Reilly Harry Skelton
Do Your Job Derek Fox
Grandeur D'Ame Tom Bellamy
Frero Banbou Charlie Deutsch
Torn And Frayed Sam Twiston-Davies
Railway Hurricane Conor Stone-Walsh

Coral: 7-2 Thunder Rock, 5 Monmiral, 6 So Scottish, Il Ridoto, 8 Fakir d’Oudairies, Fugitif, 9 Frero Banbou, 16 Grandeur D’Ame, Torn And Frayed, 20 Do Your Job, Railway Hurricane, 25 Jay Jay Reilly 

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