Horse Talk with Simon Jackson:
Top horse-racing tips and the latest news.
PAUL Nicholls appears to have a strong hand with two weĺl-fancied contenders in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The multiple champion trainer is represented by Cheltenham Festival winner Stage Star who heads the betting at 4-1 with the sponsors and is gunning for his third win over course and distance in the Grade 1 Handicap over an extended two and a half miles.
Stablemate Il Ridoto (7-1) is also a winner over course and distance, scoring at the Cheltenham Trials meeting at the start of the year and like his stablemate is having his first start of the season on Saturday.
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said (Tuesday): “Il Ridoto has been very well backed today and is still being supported.
“Paul Nicholls has won this prestigious contest twice before and looks to have two powerful arrows this time in him and favourite Stage Star.
“However, The Real Whacker remains our current biggest loser and he is still being supported at 7s (now 6-1 at the time of writing) although I’d say we are happy to hold the price, at the moment, given the amount of weight he’ll have to carry on his seasonal reappearance.
“Roughly 50% of the stakes taken on the race are on these three illustrious contenders.”
Read ‘Horse Talk with Simon Jackson’ for top horse racing tips and the latest news.
HorseTalkUK.com 