Annacotty attempts to secure notable double in Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Alan King believes Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Annacotty is in even better shape than he was last month as he aims to secure a notable double in Saturday’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

A former winner of Kempton’s Feltham Novices’ Chase when trained by Martin Keighley, the seven-year-old looked to have lost his way towards the end of last season, but appeared revitalised by the switch of stables when running out a narrow winner of Prestbury Park’s early-season highlight four weeks ago.

Annacotty is reopposed by a number of those who he denied last month, but King, who also runs Turn Over Sivola, is bullish about his chances of becoming the first horse since Exotic Dancer in 2006 to win both of Cheltenham’s pre-Christmas features.