Jango Baie can land spoils and end recent Irish Gold Cup dominance

Jango Baie ridden by Nico de Boinville during a gallops morning at Kempton Park Racecourse in February. Pic: Andrew Matthews/PA

Jango Baie can end recent Irish dominance of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup by reversing Kempton form with King George winner The Jukebox Man and runner-up Gaelic Warrior in the Cheltenham Festival feature.

No British-trained horse has won the blue riband since Native River got the better of Might Bite in an epic duel at the 2018 Festival but the home challenge looks strong this year and Jango Baie can land the spoils for Nicky Henderson.

Already a Festival winner, though how he managed to snatch victory in last year’s Arkle Novices’ Chase over a trip way short of his best remains a mystery, Jango Baie has run only twice this season, making an impressive return to action when winning an Ascot Grade Two by nine lengths in November.

On the back of that fine effort, Jango Baie was sent off joint-favourite for the King George and, while he could only finish fourth, he was only beaten half a length, shaping as though he would appreciate a stiffer test of stamina.

He’ll get that here and has strong claims of becoming the third Henderson-trained horse to win the Gold Cup after Long Run and Bobs Worth.

However, this is a seriously open renewal and The Jukebox Man has to be on any shortlist. Second in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2024 Festival, the Ben Pauling-trained eight-year-old is unbeaten in four starts over fences and the way the rallied after the last at Kempton to get up for victory proved he has guts as well as class, qualities that should serve him well here.

Given he’s one of the few horses guaranteed to stay, Welsh raider Haiti Couleurs is a fascinating contender.

An Irish and Welsh National winner since landing the National Hunt Chase at last year’s Festival, there’s plenty to like about the Rebecca Curtis-trained nine-year-old. The one negative is his sole blip this season came on the only occasion he was pitched into Grade One company.

The Irish challenge is headed by Gaelic Warrior who followed up his King George second by occupying the same position in the Irish Gold Cup.

He’s a seriously classy individual but he’ll need to settle better than he did in the early stages of the Irish Gold Cup if his stamina is to last home over an extra two furlongs. If he does so, he’s a huge threat but the niggling doubt is that he’ll do too much, too early.

Inothewayurthinkin was a visually impressive winner of this race last year but has run deplorably on his three subsequent starts and took a tired fall at the last in the most recent of them, the Irish Gold Cup last month.

The vibes since have been notably more positive and he has attracted market support in recent weeks but, while he looks sure to run better than he has done to date this season, it still requires a huge leap of the imagination to see him land a blow here, even with the application of cheekpieces.

In the same colours, Spillane’s Tower striking gold for veteran trainer Jimmy Mangan would be a huge story and it’ll be no surprise if he runs a big race. However, the expectation is he’ll find a few too good.

The other potential fairytale would be Envoi Allen galloping into retirement by winning the Festival feature on his likely final start.

A three-time Festival winner, Envoi Allen has had a remarkable career but no 12-year-old has won the Gold Cup since 1969 and he must surely be vulnerable to younger legs.

Despite Galopin Des Champs falling short in his bid to become a three-time Gold Cup winner in 2025, Willie Mullins had a four-timer on the day and he again has strong claims in the opening four races this year.

Nine of the 20 runners hail from Closutton and Selma De Vary, who ran a huge race on her stable debut when second to Narciso Has at the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF), can get the better of stablemate Proactif in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Karbau looks the right favourite for the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle while Dino Blue looks sure to put up a bold defence of her Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase crown.

Impressive DRF victor Doctor Steinberg is a leading player in the Albert Bartlett but he’ll need to settle better than he did at Leopardstown to last home over this longer trip.

In a tricky contest, the Gordon Elliott-trained Spinningayarn looks a decent each-way alternative to the likely favourite given he shapes as though the step up in trip should really suit.

The Martin Brassil-trained Panda Boy gets the vote in the Hunters’ Chase before Mullins can have the final word for the week by winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle courtesy of Roc Dino, one of three major Closutton contenders.

Cheltenham selections 

1.20 Selma De Vary (NB) 

2.00 Karbau 

2.40 Dino Blue 

3.20 Spinningayarn 

4.00 Jango Baie (Nap) 

4.40 Panda Boy 

5.20 Roc Dino 

Next best 

1.20 Proactif 

2.00 Sinnatra 

2.40 Panic Attack 

3.20 Thedeviluno 

4.00 The Jukebox Man 

4.40 Con’d Roc 

5.20 East India Express