Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race)

Cheltenham

13:50

Date 2023-12-16

Distance 2m4f127y

Class Class 1

Going Soft

Type Chase

Surface Turf

Age Band 4yo+

Prize £74,035

Winning Time 5m 11.19s (slow by 3.19s)

Result

Pos	Horse	SP	Btn
1st	Fugitif (FR) Gavin Sheehan · Richard Hobson	13/2	Won
2nd	Il Ridoto (FR) Bryony Frost · Paul Nicholls	17/2	0.1
3rd	Frero Banbou (FR) Charlie Deutsch · Venetia Williams	9/1	9.5
4th	Grandeur d'Ame (FR) Tom Bellamy · Alan King	22/1	0.3
5th	Fakir d'Oudairies (FR) Jonjo O'Neill Jr · Joseph Patrick O'Brien	11/1	1.5
6th	Torn And Frayed (FR) Sam Twiston-Davies · Nigel Twiston-Davies	28/1	1.75
7th	Monmiral (FR) Harry Cobden · Paul Nicholls	4/1	1.75
8th	Jay Jay Reilly (IRE) Harry Skelton · Dan Skelton	33/1	3.75
9th	Do Your Job (IRE) Derek Fox · Lucinda Russell	22/1	6

Non-Runners / Other

Status	Horse	SP
Fell	Railway Hurricane (IRE) Conor Stone-Walsh · Gavin Cromwell	33/1
Fell	So Scottish (FR) Mark Walsh · Emmet Mullins	5/1
P.U.	Thunder Rock (IRE) Sean Bowen · Olly Murphy	3/1F

Runners (12)

EW Terms: 3 places, ¼ odds (standard bookmaker terms — may vary)

#	Horse	Jockey / Trainer	Wt	Gear	Form	OR	RPR	TS	Last	Crs	Dst	Val	Scr	EW	Odds
3	Thunder Rock Bay J:Sean Bowen T:Olly Murphy	J:Sean Bowen T:Olly Murphy	152	—	3362-1	146	171	155	41d	—	—	+21	39.2	1.13/1	9/2 18%
Strong form in defeat in Graded novice chases (one here) last season; won well on return
4	Monmiral Black J:Harry Cobden T:Paul Nicholls	J:Harry Cobden T:Paul Nicholls	151	—	/2247-	145	170	141	245d	—	—	+17	32.2	1.25/1	5/1 17%
Heavy defeats in two Grade 1s last term, followed by wind surgery; player if back on song
6	So Scottish Bay J:Mark Walsh T:Emmet Mullins	J:Mark Walsh T:Emmet Mullins	147	t	127U-4	141	164	139	35d	—	—	+12	27.2	1.13/1	9/2 18%
7th in Plate over C&D (soft) in March did not live up to his market billing; only a 6yo
2	Fugitif Bay J:Gavin Sheehan T:Richard Hobson	J:Gavin Sheehan T:Richard Hobson	157	t	1225-4	151	168	153	28d	—	—	+17	28.3	1.75/1	7/1 13%
Has proved himself in these big 2m4f handicaps here; overraced in cheekpieces on latest
10	Frero Banbou Bay J:Charlie Deutsch T:Venetia Williams	J:Charlie Deutsch T:Venetia Williams	142	—	340-32	136	170	142	15d	—	—	+15	23.9	2.50/1	10/1 9%
Placed this term at 2m5f (big Aintree fences) and 2m4f (Newbury); 3lb out of the handicap
5	Il Ridoto Bay J:Bryony Frost T:Paul Nicholls	J:Bryony Frost T:Paul Nicholls	149	tp	416P-3	143	173	157	28d	—	—	+20	28.8	2.25/1	9/1 10%
Form figures of 44163 in major 2m4f handicap chases here over the last 13 months or so
1	Fakir D'oudairies Bay J:Jonjo O'Neill Jr T:Joseph Patrick O'Brien	J:Jonjo O'Neill Jr T:Joseph Patrick O'Brien	168	—	52132-	162	169	149	246d	—	—	+36	43.7	2.75/1	11/1 8%
Has run in only Grade 1 and Grade 2 events for the last four years; each-way chance
11	Torn And Frayed Bay J:Sam Twiston-Davies T:Nigel Twiston-Davies	J:Sam Twiston-Davies T:Nigel Twiston-Davies	142	—	22P1/F	136	166	-	28d	—	—	+18	22.9	5.00/1	20/1 5%
658 days off before Paddy Power here last month, 20-1 and held in 6th when falling two out
9	Grandeur D'Ame Bay J:Tom Bellamy T:Alan King	J:Tom Bellamy T:Alan King	142	—	115-51	136	166	110	28d	—	—	+19	22.6	6.25/1	25/1 4%
11lb higher today (3lb out of handicap) but his 2m3f Wetherby win came with extreme ease
8	Do Your Job Bay J:Derek Fox T:Lucinda Russell	J:Derek Fox T:Lucinda Russell	142	t	655-78	136	169	142	29d	—	—	+19	22.6	6.25/1	25/1 4%
Latest wind op in August and no revival in his two starts since (faded late on)
7	Jay Jay Reilly Bay J:Harry Skelton T:Dan Skelton	J:Harry Skelton T:Dan Skelton	145	—	51-235	139	165	155	14d	—	—	+20	23.2	6.25/1	25/1 4%
Stayed on for fifth over 2m6f at Newbury two weeks ago but improvement is clearly needed
12	Railway Hurricane Bay J:Conor Stone-Walsh(5) T:Gavin Cromwell	J:Conor Stone-Walsh(5) T:Gavin Cromwell	142	tb	41P223	136	163	142	27d	—	—	+30	32.8	10.00/1	40/1 2%
Placed here the last twice but this is a much better race and he's 7lb out of the handicap

Horse	bet365	William Hill	Ladbrokes	Unibet	Boyle Sports
Thunder Rock	4/1	9/2	10/3	7/2	10/3
Monmiral	5/1	9/2	4/1	9/2	4/1
So Scottish	9/2	4/1	9/2	9/2	4/1
Fugitif	7/1	13/2	7/1	6/1	7/1
Frero Banbou	10/1	10/1	9/1	17/2	8/1
Il Ridoto	9/1	8/1	9/1	8/1	15/2
Fakir D'oudairies	10/1	9/1	11/1	10/1	10/1
Torn And Frayed	20/1	20/1	18/1	18/1	18/1
Grandeur D'Ame	25/1	22/1	22/1	20/1	22/1
Do Your Job	25/1	22/1	22/1	20/1	22/1
Jay Jay Reilly	25/1	25/1	25/1	20/1	22/1
Railway Hurricane	40/1	33/1	40/1	33/1	33/1

Predictor

Scored on Official Rating (max 30), Recent Form (max 25), and Market Odds (max 20). Max score: 75.

1st

Fakir D'oudairies

43.7

OR: 28 Form: 13.6 Odds: 2.1

11/1

2nd

Thunder Rock

39.2

OR: 24 Form: 10 Odds: 5.2

9/2

3rd

Railway Hurricane

32.8

OR: 21.5 Form: 10.6 Odds: 0.7

40/1

Monmiral

32.2

OR: 23.8 Form: 4 Odds: 4.4

5/1

Il Ridoto

28.8

OR: 23.3 Form: 3 Odds: 2.5

9/1

Fugitif

28.3

OR: 25.3 Form: 0 Odds: 3.1

7/1

So Scottish

27.2

OR: 22.8 Form: 0 Odds: 4.4

9/2

Frero Banbou

23.9

OR: 21.5 Form: 0 Odds: 2.4

10/1

Jay Jay Reilly

23.2

OR: 22.3 Form: 0 Odds: 1

25/1

Torn And Frayed

22.9

OR: 21.5 Form: 0 Odds: 1.4

20/1

Grandeur D'Ame

22.6

OR: 21.5 Form: 0 Odds: 1.1

25/1

Do Your Job

22.6

OR: 21.5 Form: 0 Odds: 1.1

25/1

Ratings

Horse	OR	RPR	TS
Fakir D'oudairies	162	169	149
Fugitif	151	168	153
Thunder Rock	146	171	155
Monmiral	145	170	141
Il Ridoto	143	173	157
So Scottish	141	164	139
Jay Jay Reilly	139	165	155
Frero Banbou	136	170	142
Torn And Frayed	136	166	—
Grandeur D'Ame	136	166	110
Do Your Job	136	169	142
Railway Hurricane	136	163	142

Last Run

Horse	Last Run	Status
Jay Jay Reilly	14d ago	Fit
Frero Banbou	15d ago	Fit
Railway Hurricane	27d ago	Fit
Fugitif	28d ago	Fit
Il Ridoto	28d ago	Fit
Torn And Frayed	28d ago	Fit
Grandeur D'Ame	28d ago	Fit
Do Your Job	29d ago	Fit
So Scottish	35d ago	Fit
Thunder Rock	41d ago	Fit
Monmiral	245d ago	Long break
Fakir D'oudairies	246d ago	Long break