Paul Nicholls has spent some time with the racing press recently and his thoughts with regard to the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival have been extremely interesting. 
As the Champion Jumps trainer five times, horse betting punters should flag his thoughts and with this in mind we should consider his take on the Gold Cup this year. With the two ante-post favourites for the race, Kauto Star and Denman, both trained at the Ditcheat stables Nicholls in an enviable position but this year it is widely expected that a close contest will ensue. The possible chinks in the armour of his two star horses have been pinpointed as the defeat of Kauto Star in King George VI Chase by Long Run (another Nicholls-trained horse) whilst Denman has recently had to endure a breathing operation. With both horses now 11 years old there has been talk of the youngsters taking up the challenge. However, Nicholls feels that the older horses will still take all the beating. As well as his own charges, he cites Imperial Commander as part of the three that will take all the beating. As most punters will know, the Cheltenham course is extremely tough and whilst some horses will thrive there others will find it a step too far. The three that Nicholls has pinpointed may be getting towards the twilight of their careers but each loves the course. His two horses had had some good warm-up runs and are said to be working very strongly at home. So whilst many will be looking for value elsewhere in the market, the signs are that this year we should keep our eyes at the top of the betting market with the old and proven horses.
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