Skip to content

Racecards

13:50 Cheltenham

Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1)

  • 12 Runners
  • Distance: 2m 4f 127y
  • Going: Soft
  • Surface: Turf
  • £130,000 added
  • Winner: £74,035
  • 2nd: £27,781
  • 3rd: £13,910
  • 4th: £6,929
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 5m 11.19s
  • Off Time: 13:50:42
  • 12 Ran
1
Silk - Emerald Green, Yellow hoops, Emerald Green cap, White star
11/1
  • Form 15/2132-
  • Age 8
  • Weight 12-0
  • Official Rating 162

held up towards rear, ridden and headway 3 out, kept on same pace, nearest finish

2
Silk - Violet, white cap
13/2
  • Form 21225-4
  • Age 8
  • Weight 11-3
  • Official Rating 151

held up towards rear, headway when hampered 4 out, ridden to chase leaders 2 out, chased leader flat, stayed on to lead final strides

3
Silk - Royal Blue, White hoops, Maroon sleeves and cap
  • Form 13362-1
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-12
  • Official Rating 146

not jump well, in touch, lost place 7th, behind when pulled up 4 out

4
Silk - YELLOW, RED star, YELLOW sleeves, WHITE armlets, YELLOW cap, RED star
4/1
  • Form 42/2247-
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-11
  • Official Rating 145

tracked clear leading pair 8th, ridden 2 out, weakened approaching last

5
Silk - Pink, large Purple spots, hooped sleeves

Il Ridoto (FR)

28 pt CD
17/2
  • Form 4416P-3
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-9
  • Official Rating 143

led, clear with one other 8th, ridden 3 lengths clear 2 out, headed final strides

6
Silk - Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap
5/1
  • Form 1127U-4
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-7
  • Official Rating 141

in touch, going well when fell 4 out

7
Silk - Dark green, white seams, white sleeves, dark green armlets, orange cap
  • Form 151-235
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-5
  • Official Rating 139

always in rear, in touch, ridden and weakened 3 out

8
Silk - Black, orange star, black sleeves, orange stars, black cap, orange star
22/1
  • Form 1/655-78
  • Age 9
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 136

in touch, ridden and weakened 3 out

9
Silk - Maroon, Black hoop, diabolo on sleeves, hooped cap
  • Form 7115-51
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 133

tracked clear leading pair 8th, ridden 3 out, stayed on one pace

10
Silk - Dark blue, brown chevrons, dark blue sleeves and cap
  • Form 4340-32
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 133

prominent early, tracked clear leading pair 8th, ridden 2 out, stayed on one pace

11
Silk - EMERALD GREEN, YELLOW stars, striped sleeves, ROYAL BLUE and YELLOW striped cap
  • Form 322P1/F
  • Age 9
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 133

close up, ridden 3 out, weakened next

12
Silk - Dark green, yellow braces, yellow and dark green striped sleeves, hooped cap
  • Form 41P223
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 129

in rear, fell 4 out

In depth

Verdict

With Grade 1 winner Fakir D'Oudairies standing his ground, the bottom four in the handicap will all carry overweight but Frero Banbou has run well twice over similar trips this term and Grandeur D'Ame has won three of his last five. Do Your Job is back over his best trip and Fugitif was second three times here last season. However, he was behind IL RIDOTO on one of those occasions and again on his reappearance on the Old Course four weeks ago. Bryony Frost’s mount is actually better off at the weights today and never seems to run a bad race around here. Thunder Rock has come up against the Coral Gold Cup 1-2, Datsalrightgino and Mahler Mission, in his last two starts and is unbeaten in handicaps so far so looks a threat to all while the returning Monmiral is having a first run in a handicap. Jay Jay Reilly doesn’t look an easy ride while So Scottish while behind a couple of these at The Festival in March.

Formwatch

Fakir D'Oudairies (FR) 15-8fav (11-10) Chased leaders, closed 3 out, not fluent and unable to quicken 2 out, rallied into 2nd last, kept on, no impression on winner, 2nd of 7, 4 1/4l behind Pic D'Orhy (11-10) at Aintree 2m 4f (1) sft in Apr.

Fugitif (FR) 12-1 (11-5) Tracked leaders, went 2nd 4 out until 2 out, kept on same pace, 4th of 14, 16l behind Stage Star (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (1) sft in Nov.

Thunder Rock (IRE) 11-8fav (11-4) Tracked leaders, not fluent 3 out, pushed along next, ridden and headway to lead approaching last, ran on, won at Carlisle 2m 4f lst (1) sft in Nov beating Mahler Mission (11-4) by 3 1/2l, 4 ran.

Monmiral (FR) 25-1 (11-10) In touch in mid-division, not fluent 5th, closed after 7th, pushed along and every chance 3 out, not much room before 2 out, weakened before last, 7th of 10, dist behind Sire Du Berlais (11-10) at Aintree 3m 1f (1) gs in Apr.

Il Ridoto (FR) 12-1 (10-10) In touch, headway 5 out, pushed along 3 out, ridden and stayed on towards finish, 3rd of 14, 12l behind Stage Star (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (1) sft in Nov.

So Scottish (FR) 6-1 (11-10) In rear, closer in 4th at 4th, headway to dispute lead briefly 4 out, soon headed and dropped to 3rd entering straight, pushed along, dropped to moderate 5th when left 4th and hampered 2 out, no impression, 4th of 6, 32 1/4l behind Lucid Dreams (11-5) at Gowran Park 2m hcp hvy in Nov.

Jay Jay Reilly (IRE) 17-2 (11-12) Mid-division, jumped right 1st, not fluent 4 out, kept on, never on terms, 5th of 8, 7 1/2l behind Inch House (11-3) at Newbury 2m 6f hcp (2) gs in Dec.

Do Your Job (IRE) 17-2 (12-0) Tracked leader, led 3rd until pushed along and headed 9th, chased leaders, weakened 3 out, 8th of 11, 15l behind Triple Trade (11-4) at Cheltenham 2m hcp (2) gs in Nov.

Grandeur D'ame (FR) 9-2 (11-1) Tracked leader, led 5th, came clear before 4 out, kept on strongly, won at Wetherby 2m 3f hcp (3) hvy in Nov beating Cornerstone Lad (11-3) by 25l, 6 ran.

Frero Banbou (FR) 5-1 (11-2) Tracked leaders, led 4th, ridden 4 lengths clear when blundered last, headed run in, 2nd of 7, 2 1/2l behind Kandoo Kid (10-12) at Newbury 2m 4f hcp (2) gs in Dec.

Torn And Frayed (FR) 20-1 (10-2) Close up, pushed along 3 out, weakening when mistake and fell next, at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (1) sft in Nov.

Railway Hurricane (IRE) 11-2 (11-6) Waited with in rear on inside, steady headway after 4 out, left modest 3rd and hampered by faller 2 out, 3rd of 7, 15l behind Ginny's Destiny (11-9) at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (3) sft in Nov.