Gentlemansgame can strike gold for Morris

Lightly-raced chaser capable of challenging favourite at a big price

- Johnny Ward

TOWARDS the end of a Cheltenham Festival that has been troubling on many levels, a Boodles Gold Cup (3.30) for the ages serves as some salvation.

The near-irrelevance of English trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls has been shocking, with Ireland’s Willie Mullins hitting 100 Cheltenham winners on day two, and likely he can take the feature, too, with last year’s winner, Galopin Des Champs.

The only horse missing from an all-star cast is Shishkin, so sadly scratched due to the alarming Henderson form.

Galopin Des Champs could easily win again for all-conquering jockey Paul Townend, but preference here is for Gentlemansgame, with Darragh O’Keeffe in the saddle and trained by Mouse Morris.

Morris believes Gentlemansgame had as good a chance as anyone, bar Galopin Des Champs — and perhaps he is right.