This Saturday’s Grade 3 Greatwood Gold Cup is a Handicap Chase staged at Newbury racecourse and is always a hotly-contested event. The race is run over a distance of 2m4f and is currently sponsored by BetVictor, who are also supporting the Greatwood Veterans. It was first run in 2004 and since then has been dominated by top UK National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls – who has won the race a staggering nine times, including when last run in 2019 with San Benedeto – therefore, anything he runs should be respected.
Note: The 2020 running was abandoned.
We look back at recent winners of the race and give you all the key trends to take into the 2020 renewal – this year run on Saturday 6th March – for example, did you know 14 of the last 16 winners were aged 8 or younger?
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Recent Greatwood Gold Cup Chase Winners
2019 – SAN BENEDETO (11/1)
2018 – Abandoned
2017 – THOMAS CRAPPER (8/1)
2016 – SAMETEGAL (7/1)
2015 – SOUND INVESTMENT (7/2 fav)
2014 – SHANGANI (3/1 fav)
2013 – PACHA Du POLDER (18/1)
2012 – AERIAL (10/3 fav)
2011 – FINE PARCHMENT (12/1)
2010 – BIG FELLA THANKS (8/1)
2009 – NEW LITTLE BRIC (14/1)
2008 – NATAL (3/1 jfav)
2007 – MADISON du BERLAIS (12/1)
2006 – HORUS (22/1) dead-heat
2006 – CORNISH SET (5/1 fav) dead-heat
2005 – SUPREME PRINCE (7/1)
2004 – ISIO (11/2)
Greatwood Gold Cup Chase Betting Trends
15/16 – Carried 11-5 or less in weight
14/16 – Won by a horse aged 8 or younger
14/16 – Had run within the last 6 weeks
13/16 – Had won between 1-4 times over fences previously
13/16 – Raced at Newbury (hurdles or fences) previously
13/16 – Won over this trip previously
11/16 – Officially rated 139 or higher
11/16 – Placed in the top 5 last time out
10/16 – Winning distance – 2 lengths or less
9/16 – Favourites placed
9/16 – Won by the Paul Nicholls stable
8/16 – Winners that came from the top 3 in the market
8/16 – Won by a French-bred horse
7/16 – Won by a horse aged 8 years-old
6/16 – Went onto run at the Cheltenham Festival (no winners)
5/16 – Won by an Irish-bred horse
5/16 – Favourites to win (1 joint)
3/16 – Ridden by Nick Scholfield
2/16 – Won by the Pipe yard
2/16 – Ridden by Barry Geraghty
2/16 – Ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies
1/16 – Won their last race
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 9/1
Note: The 2006 renewal was a dead-heat
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: Umbrigado and Killer Clown were both good winners last time out, but are also up 5lbs and 15lbs for those successes, so have more on their plate here. But this is a race the Paul Nicholls camp have a cracking record in recently – winning 9 of the last 16 – so it’s hard to get away from their two runners in the race – GRAND SANCY and CAPELAND (e/w). The former is likely to be the better fancied in the betting but does need to put a poor run at Wincanton (Nov) behind him. Connections said he had an issue with his breathing that day, so that is a small concern, but he’s had 4 months off and even though no second wind op (had one in July 20), the Nicholls camp are sure to have done plenty of work with him. He was a good winner of a Listed Novice Chase in October and if back in that form would be hard to beat here. Capeland was pulled up at Ascot last time after never really travelling in the race, but was a nice winner at Wincanton the time before. He’s only 4lbs higher than success and does have a profile of a horse that can often throw in a bad one and then bounce back. Of the rest, the Henderson yard also run two – Pistol Whipped and Gold Present – while the Alan King runner – Senior Citizen – and the Henry Oliver entry – The Big Bite – are others that would have the form to go well here.
