Dan Skelton may launch a three-pronged attack on the Paddy Power Gold Cup of 2025 at Cheltenham on Saturday, 15 November courtesy of Hoe Joly Smoke, Panic Attack and Riskintheground. Each runner represents different owners in the valuable Premier Handicap over fences with first prize of over £91,000.
A field of 16 steeplechasers remained in the November Meeting showpiece at penultimate declarations. The defection of early closing topweight Protektorat allows all but two runners from within the handicap. That’s if Matata frames the weights, rather than run in the Shloer Chase on Friday’s card at this fixture. Skelton still has Cheltenham races New Course winners Panic Attack and Riskintheground in the field.
Hoe Joly Smoke, meanwhile, ran third in a 3m 1f handicap chase when not seeing out the longer trip on the Old Course at October’s Showcase Meeting. Eight of the last nine Paddy Power Gold Cup winners arrived off the back of recent runs, something Panic Attack lacks. Riskintheground, who landed the Grade 2 Silver Trophy during the April Meeting, is the only last time out winner from the Skelton stable.
✨ Derby Sale graduate Riskintheground adds to his Ayr success last week when taking the featured h’cap chase @CheltenhamRaces for @DSkeltonRacing.
⭐️ The 8yo was a €48,000 Derby Sale purchase from Shanaville Stables by Brendan Bashford Bloodstock.pic.twitter.com/XJijQMOU1O
— Tattersalls Ireland (@Tattersalls_ie) April 16, 2025
Off 5lb higher than his spring success, conditional jockey Tristan Durrell takes 3lb off with his claim. That reduces Riskintheground to his effective last winning mark when making all in a Newton Abbot intermediate chase and defeating subsequent Grade 2 novice scorer Blueking D’Oroux. Hoe Joly Smoke’s two wins under Rules so far came around Sandown with Harry Skelton mount Panic Attack needing runs to get fit last season.
This isn’t just about the Skeltons, however, as Irish trainers Gavin Cromwell and Henry De Brohmead could both run a couple. Thecompanysergeant and The Other Mozzie have experience of Cheltenham handicaps for the former, each running with credit at the Festival back in March.
Irish Contingent Respected in Paddy Power Gold Cup 2025
Thecompanysergeant chased home Cheltenham favourite Jagwar in the Festival Plate in March. This eight-year-old Kayf Tara gelding is only 1-12 over fences, but also returns to Prestbury Park with race fitness on his side and off 1lb better terms with Jagwar. The Other Mozzie, meanwhile, has a better 3-6 strike rate in steeplechases, but his most disappointing efforts when completing have come at this venue.
Cromwell raiders command respect, but an effective 10lb rise for victory down in trip around Ayr and career high mark for The Other Mozzie does make it difficult to say he’s well-treated. De Bromhead may run the improving Coming Up Easy, who has won his last three in the Emerald Isle, or April’s New Course scoring mare Theatre Native. Both are of potential interest to punters here.
🏇 Theatre Native justifies favouritism, landing the @astonmartin Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase by a wide margin for Rachael Blackmore and Henry De Bromhead 👏
#CheltenhamRaces #AprilMeeting pic.twitter.com/thZ93rP9ze
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) April 17, 2025
Coming Up Easy has almost two stone (26lb) more from the handicapper than when notching the first leg of his hat-trick at Limerick in March. Theatre Native landed Cheltenham odds of 3/1 against fellow females in the spring, meanwhile, storming to a 10-length success. The BHA handicapper took that literally though, as she runs in the Paddy Power Gold Cup of 2025 off 10lb higher.
Paul Nolan’s Conyers Hill completes the Irish contingent in the line-up. He couldn’t go the pace to get in to the Grand Annual when sixth at the Festival. As Conyers Hill shaped like stepping up in trip would suit before a lack of race fitness told when runner-up and he finished in front of Theatre Native in their prep race, this longer distance could bring about further improvement, especially on pedigree.
Il Ridoto & Jagwar Duking it out for Favourite Tag
Last season’s Cheltenham winners Il Ridoto and Jagwar sit at the head of the betting. The former tasted Paddy Power Gold Cup glory 12 months ago, while the latter landed his last two on the New Coast. Il Ridoto is something of a standing dish in Cheltenham handicaps like this one and runs in this race for a fourth consecutive year. Paul Nicholls relies solely on him for the defence of his crown off 4lb higher.
After landing the spoils on his third attempt, Il Ridoto found it difficult to follow up. He always seems to want his first run, then delivers second or third time out. Two of Il Ridoto’s three career wins over fences are at Cheltenham over the approximate two-and-a-half-mile distance. He also has a string of placed efforts here under his belt and should come forward from his Chepstow reappearance.
Jagwar is a couple of years younger than Il Ridoto at age six, however. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero’s charge is up 16lb for his consecutive victories in January and at the Festival. With a 4-5 record over fences and youth on his side, it’s easy to see why online Cheltenham bookmakers fear this JP McManus runner so much. Jagwar probably isn’t done improving yet and could still develop into a Ryanair Chase type.
Next best in the Paddy Power Gold Cup betting is Vincenzo. Trained in Wales by Sam Thomas, who has started the core jumps season well, this seven-year-old son of Doctor Dino hasn’t been out the first two in four steeplechase outings. Vincenzo bumped into subsequent Grade 1 novice chase winner Kalif Du Berlais in a small field novice handicap on his only previous Cheltenham start, but looks unexposed still.
Paddy Power Gold Cup 2025 Shortlist & Verdict
Plenty don’t appeal. Alan King’s Es Perfecto struggles with the stiff uphill finish at Prestbury Park. Bad looks a Kempton specialist for Ben Pauling. Hunter Legend and Issar D’Airy will be out of the handicap if Matata carries topweight. Jagwar and IL RIDOTO look best of the home team with the latter just edging the vote.
Jagwar could end up framing the weights if Matata goes for the Shloer and that asks a new question of him over fences. Il Ridoto’s race fitness is a handy edge over his main market rival. Conyers Hill, Theatre Native and Thecompanysergeant look the best of the Irish here. The handicapper may have caught up with Coming Up Easy.
Despite the three runners, midweek rain may scupper Skelton with Riskintheground. Panic Attack is a talent but fragile. Hoe Joly Smoke seems best over three miles at Sandown. A big run from Vincenzo shouldn’t surprise anyone as his trainer can get them fit at home in Glamorgan.
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