Paddy Power Gold Cup Betting Preview

VIC HAS THE POWER Trainer Martin Pipe has farmed the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in recent years - he's sent out four of the last five winners - and Our Vic can enhance that already impressive record by landing Saturday's renewal for the Pond House handler. Admittedly, it's disconcerting that the selection failed to complete on all three of his outings last term, and most of the value has now dried up - he's a top-priced 7-2 favourite with most firms at the time of writing - but he has been the subject of glowing reports emanating from Pipe's Somerset base, suggesting that any confidence lost last term has now been fully restored. Indeed, Our Vic's self-assurance was badly dented after taking a bad fall in the bonusprint.com Gold Cup over Prestbury Park's unique undulations last December. The injury he sustained that day was career threatening but Pipe and his team nursed the seven-year-old back into action, although he was nowhere near the peak of his powers and was pulled up on both subsequent starts. However, Our Vic is thought to be in rude health by his trainer, who is adept at revitalising his charges following setbacks, and we might now see this exciting prospect come of age, and fulfil the potential that was there for all to see during his novice campaign. He appeared to have the measure of the eventual winner, Monkerhostin, when falling at the last in the aforementioned bonusprint.com Gold Cup, having jumped like an old hand up until that final obstacle, which stood between him and victory. Significantly, Our Vic will meet Monkerhostin on 17lb better terms this weekend. Naturally, it will be to the latter's advantage that he has already had an outing this season - and an impressive victory in a competitive race at that. But if we needed reminding of that fact that Pipe can ready his horses first time out with calculated aplomb, we only need recall the performances of Celtic Son and Iris Bleu at Wincanton last weekend, both of whom looked as fit as proverbial fiddles for their reappearances, and both duly won their respective races. While I respect Monkerhostin, he doesn't always find as much under pressure as seems likely, and was readily beaten by Our Vic's stable companion Celestial Gold when third in last year's renewal of this race when running off a mark 11lb lower than that off which he will be racing on Saturday. His trainer Philip Hobbs also fields the progressive Lacdoudal, who looked a horse going places over fences last season, the feature of which was a cosy victory over Joes Edge and Cornish Rebel, who were subsequently first and second respectively in the Scottish Grand National, at this venue. He is just six and possesses plenty of scope for improvement, but I am of the opinion that his handicap mark - he's rated 146 - is a shade too steep for what he has actually achieved, and one or two of these may turn out to be better handicapped. The Len Lungo-trained Brooklyn Breeze looks best of the rest, ahead of Irish raider Forget The Past and Paul Nicholls' My Will. The son of Be My Native didn't appear to get home when fourth in the Mildmay of Flete at the Festival here in March, when appearing to run out of stamina up the taxing Cheltenham hill. However, that was believed to be due to a breathing problem, as opposed to a simple lack of stamina, and the gelding had a wind operation during the summer which is thought to have remedied the malady. Chances are, he'll be in the shake up but I reckon they are all playing for places behind Our Vic. Betting verdict: 2pts win Our Vic @ 7/2 (VCBet)