Horse racing tips: Bet365 Gold Cup 14-1 pick plus 1-2-3-4 for last major race of jumps season
Willie Mullins has ten runners in the bet365 Gold Cup, making it highly likely he will land the prize again and collect the British jumps trainers' championship
Stand by for an epic climax to the 2024-25 jumps campaign. Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton take their gripping head-to-head for the trainers' championship to the last day of the season.
The pair have been locked in a daily battle since Mullins claimed an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the Grand National to put himself right on the heels of longtime leader Skelton, who has never won the title. The contest, which is determined by prize-money, has ebbed and flowed every day and it will go down to the wire on Saturday at Sandown which hosts the bet365 Jumps Finale.
Mullins jointly holds both the Irish and British jumps trainers' titles, sealing his first British championship last April when Minella Cocooner landed the bet365 Gold Cup in an end of season spree which included victories in the Grand National and Scottish Grand National.
This time he has followed success at Aintree with another victory in the Scottish Grand National and has declared ten, half the field, in the feature handicap of a meeting when £685,000 up for grabs.
ITV has changed the running order to ensure the outcome of the Mullins vs Skelton battle gets live coverage. So in collaboration with Sandown and the BHA the first race of the day will now start at 1.20pm, 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled.
Mullins has so much firepower he may have overwhelmed Skelton by the time the 20 runners line up for the feature race in which his opponent has just one runner. He is highly likely to win the race again, but which horse will it be? His ten runners are analysed below.
Grangeclare West (Bryan Hayes) Latest William Hill odds - 16-1 The classiest horse in the field, having chased home Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup. Ran right up to form in the Grand National finishing third behind Nick Rockett and bound to be in the mix again.
Minella Cocooner (Danny Mullins) - 14-1 Last year's big race winner hasn't added to his score since but produced his best run of the campaign to take seventh in the Grand National. Only 2lb higher up the handicap than 12 months ago and another for the shortlist.
Dancing City (Jonjo O'Neill Jr) 8-1 Was on a four race winning spree until disappointing at Cheltenham. Came down too early in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree to work out where he may have finished. Could bring a touch of class if he copes with quicker ground.
High Class Hero (Paul Townend) 6-1 Townend rarely picks the wrong horse but it's possible his boss has decided to keep faith with Danny Mullins, who rode the victorious Minella Cocooner last year, and Bryan Hayes, who has ridden Grangeclare West on his last three starts. High Class Hero is still an unknown quantity and had an off day when beaten at odds of 2-13 last time.
Lombron (Rachael Blackmore) 33-1 Off the mark over fences at the third attempt in a small race at Clonmel in March. Has a lot more on his plate this time.
Olympic Man (Jonathan Burke) 40-1 Runs in the Galopin Des Champs colours, he started favourite for the Scottish Grand National and ran well for a long way until tiring. Should appreciate the shorter trip.
O'Moore Park (Sean O'Keeffe) 25-1 Takes a significant step up in distance from 2lb out of the handicap. Showed what he was capable of when third in the Golden Miller at the Festival and was second on his return to Cheltenham this month for the Silver Trophy. He could offer a lot more.
Spanish Harlem (Sam Twiston-Davies) 40-1 Carried out in the Scottish Grand National, in which he finished sixth a year earlier, is winless from nine runs over fences.
Chosen Witness (Kevin Sexton) 25-1 Hasn't completed his last two starts so a clear round would be a decent effort on the evidence of recent form.
Klarc Kent (Kieran Callaghan (5)) 25-1 Improved on last year's fourth place to finish second in the Scottish Grand National but still yet to win a chase from 12 efforts and is out of the handicap this time.
1-2-3-4 Verdict: Minella Cocooner, Dancing City, Grangeclare West, O'Moore Park
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Zharnel Hughes set to rewrite history as GB's fastest man changes mindset
British record holder over 100m and 200m became a father in the winter and believes new mindset leaves him in a good position to finally land World Championship medal in Tokyo this year Zharnel Hughes is determined to change the nearly man narrative with Britain's fastest sprinter hoping new dad strength can propel him to the global medal he badly craves. The 100m and 200m national record holder last year saw his Paris Olympic dreams shattered by a hamstring injury. But having welcomed a baby boy in mid-winter, Hughes, 29, says he is now looking at life differently as he sets his sights on making up for past disappointments at September's World Championships in Tokyo. When Japan's capital hosted the Games four years ago, he false started in the 100m final and then had a relay silver stripped away after team-mate CJ Ujah was caught doping. But with Hughes' body 'feeling nice and strong' and several solid races already under his belt in Michael Johnson's Grand Slam series, he is in a good place early in an unusually long season. And the prospect of stepping on to the same track that brought the lowest moment of his career brings no sense of fear. 'It would be amazing to rewrite history,' he says. 'I've moved on from (Tokyo), it's long gone now but I'm looking forward to getting out there to compete.' Hughes is keen on manifestation and keeps a daily journal that charts every high and low but rather than the woes of old weigh heavily on his shoulders, his experience is becoming one of his strongest assets. Already this season there have been a couple of races where he has noticed technical issues when transitioning out of the blocks but did not panic and finished strongly. Hughes laughingly says he 'I don't want to think about' turning 30 next month but he has acquired a newfound wisdom. 'I've changed as an athlete,' Hughes says. 'It was always my job but now I know I need to take care of my son. 'I look over at him every day, hear him laugh, and I feel it's changed my mindset. Nothing else matters to me. As long as I'm making him happy and providing for him and the family is good, I'm happy.' He knows setting off soon for a summer tour across Europe before heading to Asia in early autumn will be difficult and they are already practicing FaceTime routines. 'It won't be easy but it has to be done,' he adds, and if he can bring that medal back home it will all prove worthwhile.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Brit sensation Hannah Klugman, 16, breaks down in tears as she's ‘broken physically and mentally' in French Open final
'BROKE ME' Brit sensation Hannah Klugman, 16, breaks down in tears as she's 'broken physically and mentally' in French Open final Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TEEN SENSATION Hannah Klugman started to sob after her French Open final thrashing and admitted: I was broken mentally and physically. One of the most exciting young talents in British tennis was trounced 6-2 6-0 in 77 minutes by Austrian Lilli Tagger in the finale to the girls' singles competition. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Brit sensation Hannah Klugman broke down in tears after losing the junior French Open final on Saturday Credit: AP 3 Klugman was trounced 6-2 6-0 in 77 minutes by Lilli Tagger Credit: AP 3 Tagger has a career singles rating of No.506 Credit: Getty Klugman, 16, struggled to cope with the windy conditions on Court Simonne-Mathieu. The Kingston-upon-Thames schoolgirl was trying to become the first Brit to win the Roland Garros junior championship since Michelle Tyler in 1976. Wiping away the tears, she said: 'I want to start off by saying congratulations to Lilli. Honestly, you deserve it so much. 'You broke me mentally and physically today. It's been a long week. I'm really proud of myself. 'I'm very tired. It's been a long week. I want to thank my team for all of the hard work – it means a lot. 'The crowd, you were amazing, I've never played in an atmosphere like this so thank you so much. 'Hopefully I'll be back some time in the seniors, so thank you so much.' Seventeen-year-old Tagger – who did not drop a trophy set in the event – secured the title with a 23-minute second set, winning 24 out of 35 points. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS For Klugman, there are major lessons to be learned on clay – she had little experience on the surface until spending two months practising on the surface earlier this year. That included a few days at Rafael Nadal's academy in Spain where she caught the eye of the 22-time major singles winner. Carlos Alcaraz stuns French Open fans with classy gesture as he wins rally but concedes point due to little-known rule Past winners of the title include future Grand Slam champions Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Justine Henin, Coco Gauff. Klugman had also contested two Grand Slam girls' doubles finals but lost in the 2023 Wimbledon and this year's Australian Open trophy matches.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
How to watch The 1% Club for Soccer Aid celebrity special
They will be put to the test in the quiz where 'the questions have nothing to do with remembering facts, but are all about logic and common sense', explains the Radio Times. The aim will be to make it to the end, answering the 1% question correctly to take home up to £100,000 for charity. How does The 1% Club work? ITV said: 'Find out how clever you are as Lee Mack presents the quiz where it doesn't matter how good you are at quizzes and where 100 contestants could win up to 100,000 pounds.' As pointed out by the Radio Times, the show isn't about knowing facts, it's about using your brain to answer the questions. Each player gets one pass which they can use to help them skip a question but once they have used it, an incorrect answer takes them out of the game. If they make it to the 1% question, they will be asked to go down to the stage for the final question where they'll see if they are winners. Who will be on The 1% Club for Soccer Aid? While a full lineup hasn't been revealed by ITV, some promotions for the show have seen a few famous faces preparing for their stint. Among those famous faces are comedian Paddy McGuinness, rapper Aitch and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling. Brother and sister presenting duo Scarlette and Stuart Douglas will go up against each other in the quiz with Stuart saying he hopes to do better than his sister. Tonight's show will see 100 celebrities and sports stars try their luck at The 1% Club (Image: Magnum TV/ITV) Sports stars Greg Rutherford, Jill Scott, Tony Bellew and Chris Kamara are also in the audience, hoping to score some big money for charity. Recommended reading: How to watch The 1% Club for Soccer Aid To see the full celebrity lineup and test your skills, here's how you can tune into all the action tonight. The 1% Club for Soccer Aid will be available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX from 8.20pm. You can catch up with all episodes of The 1% Club on ITVX.
