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The biggest race of the week is finally here, it's the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase.
With the way that this week has gone, it really is hard to look past Galopin Des Champs, but it is jumps racing and anything can happen…
Cheltenham 3:30 – Corach Rambler 14/1 (0.5pt EW)
If the same Galopin Des Champs turns up for this race as the one who put in a crazy rating performance last year in the Gold Cup, it will be mission impossible for any horse to beat him, but as we saw with El Fabiolo, this racing game is mad at time and at the prices I'll have an EW play at hopes of a place and maybe more if the favourite under performs.
I have been a big fan of Gerri Colombe and even backed him in the ante-post market straight away he won the Brown Advisory, but that bet went down like a lead balloon when Galopin Des Champs smoked him in the Savills Chase just after Christmas. Gerri was fancied to give the winner a proper race that day, going off 7/4 second fav, but he wasn't in the same league as the winner. He might be able to improve for that run and the track might be better suited for him but he'll need a miracle based on that performance to get anywhere near Galopin.
Fastorslow is the horse many will be on if going against Galopin, and considering he is the horse who has beaten him twice you can hardly argue with that. He beat the favourite at the Punchestown Gold Cup when causing a huge shock at odds of 20/1, but that was hardly a fluke as he finished 2nd to Galopin at the DRF and he did give the favourite a thing to think about. He has had a wind surgery since and showed he handles the ground and course when finishing 2nd in the Ultima last year and this longer trip will help him too.
It could be my heart ruling my head for backing Corach Rambler for this race, as connections will have the Grand National in the back of their minds, but I can't let him go unbacked at the odds he is. This horse has done me so many favours over the last couple of seasons, winning when tipped up in the Ultima in 2022 & 2023 and then winning as a selection for the Grand National. There is something about this horse and the spring, he seems to properly come alive and given his record at Cheltenham which reads 1,1,1 it's hard to go against him as an EW player. He might lack the class of some of these, but he did beat Fastorslow in the Ultima last year, and we know for a fact that he stays forever, proven by winning the Grand National. Lucinda Russell had Giovinco massively outrun his odds against Fact To File in the Brown Advisory (40/1) and I think there is much worse EW shots than this lad.
As for the other British runners, I think they've got no chance and they are priced up shorter than Corach Rambler. I could not have Bravemansgame or L'Homme Presse, I don't think they're good enough or strong enough stayers. The latter has had a torrid time of things over the last 12 months or so. He did return in decent form, but 12/1 when you can get 16/1 or even 33/1 on Nassalam who will love the ground and stays very well seems a bit of a no-brainer.
