2021 Racing Post Gold Cup: why this horse can win Saturday's big race

Saturday's Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham is always an intriguing betting heat, and this season looks no different, with favourite Lalor heading the market. Here, six of our experts select their fancies for the big race.

1.50 Cheltenham Saturday: Racing Post Gold Cup racecard and betting

Lalor

Paul Nicholls' confidence in Lalor is more than enough for me to side with the Grade 1-winning nine-year-old.

When the 12-time British champion trainer believes he has a horse spot on for a particular target he is rarely wrong, and there was a lot to like about Lalor's third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last time out.

He was only two and a quarter lengths behind Midnight Shadow on his first start since undergoing wind surgery and he has every chance of overturning that form on 5lb better terms.
Sam Hendry, reporter

Fusil Raffles

Although high in the weights, I am willing to take the chance that Charlie Hall Chase scorer Fusil Raffles will have enough class to come out on top in this field of admirable handicappers.

Nicky Henderson has won this race three times and his six-year-old has performed well on both starts on the New course, taking a novice chase on soft ground at this meeting last year before chasing home stablemate Chantry House at the festival.

I think Fusil Raffles brings a similar profile into the race as Frodon, who was already a course-and-distance winner and a Graded-winning chaser before carrying top weight to win this race for a second time as a six-year-old in 2018.
Charlie Huggins, reporter

Siruh Du Lac

The horses-for-courses cliche runs true with Siruh Du Lac, whose last six runs have come at Cheltenham, including a pair of course-and-distance victories in early 2019.

He’s been lightly raced since those successes and he travelled well for a long way over three miles on his return from an absence over hurdles in October. That bodes well as he returns to fences over his favoured 2m4f trip.

Siruh Du Lac: his last six runs have been at CheltenhamCredit: Mark Cranham

The forecast rain is also a positive and, perhaps more crucially, he’s only 2lb above his last winning mark at Cheltenham. He makes just his third start since joining David Pipe, a dual winner of the race, and he’ll relish the hustle and bustle of a big field.
Owen Goulding, MyRacing

Farinet

Cepage is only in there to make the weights and Venetia Williams' other entrant, Farinet, is far more interesting off a mark of 133, which translates to 10st if Dashel Drasher stays in and 10st 2lb if Cepage is the topweight.

Farinet has run only twice in Britain but already has a Listed win on his CV. He was a taking winner of the novice handicap chase moved from Cheltenham to Imperial Cup day in March.

His first run for Williams had been promising, too, when he was third behind Galahad Quest and Marown but just in front of The Ferry Master.

Both of those runs were on soft ground and Farinet was pulled out of the Paddy Power Gold Cup owing to the relatively quick conditions. With the rain having now arrived, and the fact he was deemed fit enough to race a month ago quelling fears over his coming here fresh, Farinet has been massively overlooked for this big prize.
Keith Melrose, Betting editor

Silver Hallmark

Fergal O'Brien has an excellent record at Cheltenham's three showpiece fixtures before Christmas and, after notable successes at the Showcase and November meetings this year, Silver Hallmark can cap an excellent start to the local trainer's season in this big race.

It has paid to follow unexposed and improving types in this race in recent years, and no horse fits that category better than , who has been seen on a racecourse only six times.

Silver Hallmark: looks chucked in off a mark of 145Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The seven-year-old grey's talent isn't in doubt given he fended off subsequent EBF Final, Persian War and Relkeel Hurdle winner McFabulous in a maiden hurdle in November 2019. He also put it up to recent Ladbrokes Trophy runner-up Fiddlerontheroof on chase debut last winter.

Silver Hallmark shaped far better than the result suggests in the Colin Parker Memorial on his seasonal reappearance and remains chucked in off a mark of 145.
Tom Collins

Cepage

He is probably not the best handicapped horse in the race, nor is he unexposed, but Cepage's record when fresh makes me think 16-1 is too generous.

He was second to Frodon in the race in 2018 on his first start that season and there were 15 lengths back to the third that day. He didn't run again that season but returned the following season when chasing home subsequent Grade 1 winner Riders Onthe Storm at Aintree.

He was trying to give him 7lb, so it was a big performance. Cepage was last seen finishing fourth in the Ultima at Cheltenham and that is strong form. The key to him could be catching him fresh, so Saturday might just be the best time to get on.
David Jennings, Deputy Ireland editor

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