bet365 Gold Cup Tips: Back this value each-way play at Sandown
Christian Williams will unleash two of his staying stars in Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park, and all eyes will be on the hugely progressive Win My Wings, who will look to follow up his Scottish Grand National win with another notable staying victory at the Esher track...
Three wins on the bounce have catapulted Win My Wings to the forefront of the staying chase division and having won the Eider Chase at Newcastle the nine-year-old then bounded to an emphatic seven length success in the Scottish National at Ayr a few weeks ago. Winning off a mark of 140 that day, and aided by the 7lb claim of Rob James, Win My Wings will now line up off 154 at the weekend, so he faces a gargantuan task off his new mark, but he was easily the best at Ayr last time out and could still be open to some improvement.
However, the more eye-catching of the Williams fancied duo if Kitty's Light, who was a fine second in the Scottish National, but has only been handed a 2lb rise by the handicapper. Second in last year's bet365 Gold Cup off a mark of 139 having been first past the post, but lost it in the stewards' room, Kitty's Light had previously finished second to stablemate Cap Du Nord in the Coral Trophy at Kempton Park, and with that raider also declared by Williams here then the Welsh handler has a huge shout of landing the prize. However, Cap Du Nord did disappoint last time out at Aintree when pulling up, so he could be the least likely of the Williams triumvirate to feature prominently at the weekend.
Champion trainer elect Paul Nicholls has trained the winner of the bet365 Gold Cup on four occasions with the likes of Ad Hoc (twice), Tidal Bay and Just A Par landing the prize for the Ditcheat handler, and he will saddle this year's favourite in Enrilo, who was last seen finishing fourth behind Cap Du Nord at Kempton Park in February, and he's been duly been dropped 2lb since then, so a mark of 144 looks attractive. Third in this race 12 months ago off a mark of 143, Enrilo most certainly looks a huge player, and with the ground set to be in his favour then he could well set the standard. But, he's struggled to get his head in front in recent times, and he could be worth taking on at the skinny price.
Two previous winners of the race will line up and last year's champion POTTERMAN takes his chance for Alan King, and he's only 2lbs higher than last year's winning mark. A confidence-boosting win at Kelso last time out will have him primed for this event and at double-figured odds he looks a superb each-way play to at least hit the places, and he could well reign supreme once again. Mark Bradstock's 2018 winner Step Back is now 12 years old, but he bids to regain his crown, but he's unfancied to get his head in front again and was last seen pulling up in the Cross Country at Cheltenham.
A brace of wins at Kempton has seen Dan Skelton's Flegmatik rocket up the handicap and he will have to defy a 9lb rise in this event on Saturday, so that could be a bridge too far, while the likes of the hat-trick-seeking Musical Slave and Domaine De L'Isle, who unseated in the Grand National, will add more depth to what looks a cracking betting heat.