Pipe has fingers crossed for dry week
The master of Pond House has three of the 22 entries for the second big two-and-a-half-mile event of the season at the track, but Abragante, 7-1 with the sponsors, is easily the shortest in the betting.
Winner of the Listed Badger Ales Trophy Chase at Wincanton in November on his return from a summer break, he was then only 10th to Denman when fancied in a stamina-sapping Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.
Pipe also has 2006 Paddy Power Gold Cup second Vodka Bleu as well as Tamarinbleu and reported: “All three horses are in good heart, but we’ll see what the ground is like before making firm plans.
“Abragante and Vodka Bleu are owned by David Johnson so I would imagine only one of those will run, but we’ll decide closer to the day.
“Abragante ran OK in the Hennessy last time but Denman was in a different league. Probably a bit better ground would help his cause.
“Vodka Bleu seems well at the moment and they say it’s good ground, so if it stays that way he would like that and could take his chance.
“Tamarinbleu is in there as well but is also entered at Ascot the following week, so we’ll see.”
The going at Cheltenham is currently good on the chase course and only a couple of millimetres of rain are anticipated over the week.
Boylesports are particularly scared of the Paul Nicholls-trained New Little Bric and make him the 11-2 favourite ahead of Paddy Power Gold Cup second and fourth Il Duce and Palarshan (8-1 each).
The Grade One winning novice was a running-on fourth to potential rival Howle Hill on his seasonal reappearance at Ascot.
Leon Blanche, the firm’s spokesman said: “We were as big as 12-1 about New Little Bric, but he has been solidly-backed in the last few days. He is by far our biggest loser and we are putting that down to people latching on to the fine form of the Nicholls stable.”
Boylesports.com Gold Cup, sponsors bet: 11-2 New Little Bric, 7-1 Abragante, 8-1 Il Duce, Palarshan, 11-1 Knowhere, 14-1 Howle Hill, Roman Ark, 16-1 Faasel, Tamarinbleu, Idole First, 20-1 Bar.
