Betfred Gold Cup Preview

Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls are engaged in a titanic tussle for the trainers' title, which is going to go right down to the wire - the wire being the Betfred Gold Cup, formerly known as the Whitbread - at Sandown on Saturday (3.15).Ironically, despite having 10 of the current 21 entries between them, it's French raider Kelami that heads the market and will be the one that they will all have to beat. Indeed, Kelami looked really good when beating Keen Leader and Irish Hussar in the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and he's certainly a worthy favourite, given that this race is not particularly strong and many of the entries are out of sorts at present.However, taking 7-2 about a horse with suspect stamina, running off a career-high mark in a race where favourites have a poor record, does not make much appeal. In the last decade no clear favourite has won, Beau was 6-1 co favourite of three when winning in 2000, and was the shortest priced winner within that 10-year period.In contrast, WHITENZO has a far stronger profile and looks extremely well treated at present. Assuming that the top weights, Therealbandit and Royal Auclair, stand their ground, Whitenzo will be 5lb out of the handicap proper. But, the nine-year-old is currently 24lb lower than when at his peak in 2001, and his recent efforts strongly suggest that he's recapturing the sparkle that eluded him for a while. Following two bloodless victories in amateur riders' races, both at Sandown, Paul Nicholls' decision to allow amateur Jamie Snowdon keep the ride in a more conventional contest at Exeter last time paid dividends as the gelding scored in emphatic style off the same mark as he'll be racing off on Saturday. In addition, the application of a tongue-tie has seemingly worked wonders.If, as it would appear, Whitenzo is back to something like his best, there's a good chance that he will win and the 10-1 offered by Bet365, Coral and Sporting Odds is simply too good to miss.His stable companion Royal Auclair has excelled himself the last twice - finishing fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup then second in the Grand National. He failed by a short head to overhaul Puntal in this race last year but is now racing off a 16lb higher mark and looks vulnerable to a better-handicapped rival. Another stablemate prominent in the betting is Best Mate's full-brother Inca Trail, who benefited from a tactically astute ride by Ruby Walsh when produced with a well-timed run to beat Boy's Hurrah in a Class C Chase here last time. Personally, I don't think he deserves to be as short as 5-1 in the market and he's readily passed over, as is Comply Or Die, who was struggling a long way out before being pulled up in the Scottish National last weekend and I cannot envisage him recovering quickly enough from those exertions to trouble the likes of Whitenzo here. For those looking for an outsider with a live each-way chance, you could do a lot worse than have a small saver on BALLYCASSIDY, who represents good value at 20-1. Peter Bowen's charge has failed to build on a highly encouraging seasonal reappearance effort at Cheltenham where he finished second to Stormez off a 5lb higher mark but it is likely that this race will bring out the best in him and he will be suited by the better ground. A reproduction of that Cheltenham effort would put him in with a real shout here and his prominent style of racing and usually bold jumping technique will be potent weapons on a course that provides a stern test of a horse's agility and stamina. Betting verdict: 1pt win Whitenzo @ 10/1 (Bet365)0.50pt e/w Ballycassidy @ 20/1 (VCbet)