What an exciting race.
Bishops Road had a bad start to the late running Gold cup today, falling at the first fence to end his highly anticipated comeback. Henri Parry Morgan took the favourite spot before the start of the race, taking the pressure off Paul Nicholls’ Southfield Theatre, leaving Sam Twiston-Davies to concentrate on his own game.
Halfway through the race Dropout Joe was in the lead three and Henry Parry Morgan was looking good until he unseated his jockey on the final straight, but Just a Parr was catching up, pacing himself for the big finish closely followed by The Young Master who finished a nose ahead of Just a Parr, last year’s winner. Nicholls finishing second, surely bagging the Trainers Championship this year, Willie Mullins put on a good show today, it’s been head to head all the way.
Sadly, Mullins’ horses in this Gold Cup Chase never managed a place. Nicholls managed 2nd and 4th with Southfield Theatre following up close behind his stable mate Just a Parr.
If you managed to get a bet on early you wouldn’t have been disappointed, with the final prices being ,
1st: The Young Master at 8/1
2nd: Just a Parr at 20/1
3rd: Sausalito Sunrise at 20/1
4th: Southfield Theatre at 8/1
This completes a great year for Richard ‘Dicky’ Johnson, third place today on Sausalito Sunrise and the Champion Jockey this year for the first time after sixteen runner up places to Sir AP McCoy.
Still plenty of racing today at Sandown, with three more races for the day and more racing at Haydock, Ripon and Limerick.
We’ll be looking ahead to next week, kicking off with The Boylesports Champion Chase on the 26th at Punchestown and then the Punchestown Gold cup on the 27th. With a few insights into the horses running, their trainers and riders, who to tip early and on the day the favourite runners, see who our tipsters are backing that day and which bookmakers have the best offers and cashback deals.
Until then have a profitable weekends betting and catch up with our football blogs for all the weekend gossip in the Premiership race.