Eclipster: Santini looks a smart choice for Cheltenham Gold Cup Tip n6q2c

Cheltenham Gold Cup Tip: Cheltenham – 3:30 – 3m 2½f (3m 2f 70y) (New) Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (Class 1) (5yo+) 444n1l

The biggest race of the week goes off at 3:30pm today (Friday 13th March 2020) and with an average of 12.2 runners over the past 10 years, thinning down the field to a manageable likely few seems a good option. 4a2i2p

The race has been run since 1924 and over that time some of the true super starts of the National Hunt arena have won the event. The horse that has won the event more than any other is Golden Miller who won the race five times between 1932 and 1936 and was owned by The Honourable Dorothy Paget who was arguably the biggest gambler in British turf history and whose horses won a total of 1,532 races.

Eight horses have won the event on consecutive seasons including Cottage Rake, Arkle, and Best Mate who won the event three years in a row.

There are some strong statistics surrounding the Gold Cup:

• All of the last 18 winners had previously won at least one Grade 1 race
• 15 of the last 17 winners started in the first three in the betting
• All of the last 14 winners had a previous run at Cheltenham
• All of the last 14 winners had at least two previous chase wins
• 12 of the last 14 winners had at least two runs prior to the Gold Cup
• 22 of the last 24 winners were aged between seven and nine
• 14 of the last 17 winners were rated at 166 or higher
• 17 of the last 19 winners won earlier in the season
• Just one of the last 23 winners was aged ten or older
• 12 of the last 14 winners has won at least once over 3 miles or further
• All of the last 14 winners had run at least four times over hurdles earlier in their careers

Nicky Henderson has saddled four winners this week at The Festival. The Lambourn-based trainer runs Santini in the Gold Cup and after a Grade 2 win and two Grade 1 placed runs in three runs as a Novice chaser last season, his form has continued to improve this season. Santini is our Cheltenham Gold Cup Tip.

His preparation for today’s run includes a wind operation after an unconvincing win on his reappearance at Sandown. His last run saw him winning the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January in convincing style, seeing off the redoubtable Bristol De Mai by 3½ lengths. He has won five of his seven starts in Soft ground and has won two of his four starts at Cheltenham.