Has Keith Melrose found the best handicapped horse in the bet365 Gold Cup?

Golan Fortune
3.40 Sandown
Buy at 8 on the index

Novices have a good record in the bet365 Gold Cup but that will not get you far this year – qualifiers like Enrilo and Kitty's Light are taking up plenty of the market.

Novices do well because they are unexposed and the one who I think is on the best mark is the Phil Middleton-trained Golan Fortune.

You can ignore his last run in the Midlands National as he was held up in a race that failed to sort them out like a marathon normally does. Before that, his runs in Graded novices suggest he is better than a mark of 140.

He was fourth in the Kauto Star, beaten just eight lengths and doing best of those that tried to sit off the winner Shan Blue. On the surface he might have been flattered at Warwick next time, but Next Destination and Fiddlerontheroof started racing far enough out to beat him by a lot further than six and a half lengths if he was a genuine imposter.

In short, this is a Grade 2 novice who has snuck in off a handicapper's mark. Tom Scudamore takes the ride and he is both on the crest of a wave and likely to have Golan Fortune in a more aggressive position than he was at Uttoxeter. It is hard to see many finishing in front of him.

3.40 Sandown
Sporting (50-30-20-10-5 (5 bonus for buyers only)): 12-15 Plan Of Attack, 10-13 Kitty's Light, El Presente, Enrilo, 7-9 Potterman, 6-8 Supreme Escape, Golan Fortune, Crosspark, 5-7 Irish Prophecy, 4-6 Cap Du Nord, 3-5 Bob Mahler, The Young Master, 2-4 Smooth Stepper, Checkitout, Doing Fine, 1-3 Larry

Match bet: Enrilo/El Presente -0.75-0.75

For all our exclusive free bet offers and must-have daily promotions click the free bets button or go to racingpost.com/freebets