Spindleberry’s a ripe pick for historic Gold Cup double
PRIOR to the Cheltenham Festival, we’ve got the small matter of the Dublin Racing Festival in little over a week’s time, which brings two days of top-quality action from Leopardstown.
The headline of the weekend is undoubtedly the Irish Gold Cup, where Galopin Des Champs will be looking to make it four successive victories in the Grade One contest.
He heads the market for this year’s renewal but does have it to prove after being beaten for the first time round his beloved Leopardstown since 2021 in the Savills Chase over Christmas.
I think the value lies elsewhere, and I want to side with his progressive stablemate SPINDLEBERRY to put it up to the boys here.
She arrives here on a steep upward curve, having won her last five starts.
The form of her WillowWarm Gold Cup victory last season is strong, when beating Firefox and Champ Kiely convincingly, and after winning last time at Doncaster with any amount in hand, despite the ground being too quick for her, it’ll be fascinating to see her test herself against some of the best around.
Crucially, as a mare, she’s in receipt of a seven-pound weight concession and at 12/1, she looks a good value each way bet for the Leopardstown feature.
Cheltenham ante-post betting is all about thinking outside the box and finding the odd rather than the obvious, and Spindleberry falls into the first category.
Given her highly progressive profile, there’s enough to suggest she might have what it takes to mix it with the best, and with the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture still unclear, there’s an outside chance she could become the first mare to win it since Dawn Run in 1986.
Provided she goes well at Leopardstown, 33/1 could look a big price come March.
POINTERS ANTE-POST
Spindleberry e/w 12/1 Irish Gold Cup
33/1 Cheltenham Gold Cup