Who remains in contention for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday?

Ante-post favourite Complete Unknown was one of 23 left in Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup (2.50) at the final confirmation stage on Monday.

The seven-year-old could bid to give trainer Paul Nicholls his fourth win in the prestigious Newbury handicap, and his first since Denman’s sensational second success in 2009.

Complete Unknown was runner-up to Gold Cup second favourite Gerri Colombe in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree on his final start last season and he made a successful reappearance after wind surgery when beating subsequent winner Might I last month.

Nicholls has won that Newton Abbot intermediate event with future Grade 1-winning chasers Bravemansgame and Pic D'Orhy. Complete Unknown was an impressive winner of last year's EBF Final at Sandown over hurdles and is unbeaten in two handicap starts over fences.

Complete Unknown: heads the Coral Gold Cup market for Paul NichollsCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Betfair Chase winner Royal Pagaille was taken out along with Protektorat and Corach Rambler but the latter’s stablemate Ahoy Senor was left in by trainer Lucinda Russell and looks set to carry top weight.

Total Recall was the last Coral Gold Cup winner to be trained in Ireland in 2017 and John McConnell’s Mahler Mission remains in contention with Kim Muir runner-up Stumptown and Max Flamingo. Mahler Mission was set to win impressively at last season's Cheltenham Festival before falling at the second-last when leading the National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase. He is the 7-1 joint-favourite with Complete Unknown with the race's sponsor after a satisfactory third on his comeback over an inadequate trip in Carlisle's Listed Colin Parker Memorial Chase.

Monbeg Genius, beaten only by subsequent Grand National hero Corach Rambler and Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan winner Fastorslow in last season’s Ultima, could bid to bounce back from being pulled up at Ascot last time.

Le Milos provided Dan Skelton with his first Coral Gold Cup victory last year and the trainer relies solely on Midnight River after taking out Shan Blue and Galia Des Liteaux. Skelton was assistant to Nicholls when Sam Thomas rode Denman to his first win in the race in 2007 and Thomas could be represented by Stolen Silver and Our Power as he attempts to land the race as a trainer.

Last season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Ga Law, Scottish Grand National hero Kitty’s Light and Topham winner Bill Baxter also remain in contention. Cloudy Glen could provide Venetia Williams with another major Saturday success if repeating his 2021 victory while Remastered could aim to go one better than last year’s second.

Coral Gold Cup confirmations

Ahoy Senor
Stolen Silver
Midnight River
Dusart
Eldorado Allen
Zanza
Ga Law
Complete Unknown
Mahler Mission
Remastered
Datsalrightgino
Monbeg Genius
Kitty’s Light
Our Power
Sail Away
Twig
Stumptown
Cloudy Glen
Beauport
Bill Baxter
Max Flamingo
Shakem Up’Arry
Lord Accord

Coral Gold Cup, Saturday (2.50 Newbury)

Coral: 7 Complete Unknown, Mahler Mission, 8 Midnight River, Monbeg Genius, 9 Stumptown, 12 Our Power, Remastered, 14 Sail Away, Stolen Silver, 16 Ahoy Senor, Bill Baxter, Kitty’s Light, 20 Cloudy Glen, Datsalrightgino, Dusart, Eldorado Allen, Ga Law, Shakem Up’Arry, Zanza, 25 Beauport, Twig, 40 Max Flamingo, 50 Lord Accord 

Dysart Enos set for Listed test

Grade 2 bumper winner Dysart Enos made the perfect start to her hurdling career at Huntingdon last time and she is entered in the Listed 2m½f mares' novice event (11.55) which kicks off Saturday's seven-race card.

Dysart Enos: won by seven and a half lengths on her hurdling debutCredit: John Grossick

The Fergal O'Brien-trained five-year-old scored by nine lengths at Aintree's Grand National meeting and her odds of 7-1 for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival could shorten if she extends her unbeaten record under rules to five. 

It is set to be a huge day for Nicky Henderson with the return of Constitution Hill in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the potential participation of Shishkin on the same Newcastle card. The Seven Barrows trainer also has several chances closer to home most notably Under Control, who is set to make her seasonal debut in the Gerry Feilden (2.15).

Under Control beat subsequent Greatwood Hurdle winner and stablemate Iberico Lord at Sandown last time and he could provide Henderson with his fourth win in five years in the £50,000 handicap. Henderson combined with Under Control's owner JP McManus to win the race with subsequent Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante in 2019 and he could also be represented by Jet Powered. The Joe Donnelly-owned six-year-old bolted up on his first start for Henderson at this meeting last year and he is also entered in the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle (1.50).

Jeriko Du Reponet, an 11-length winner of a Kirkistown point-to-point, is another intriguing entry for Henderson and McManus in the 2m4½f novice hurdle (1.05). The four-year-old could make his stable debut over a shorter trip on Friday if taking up that other Newbury engagement. 

Read these next:

What's on this week: Constitution Hill returns, Newbury's Coral Gold Cup meeting and Grade 1 action at Fairyhouse 

Who were the big ante-post market movers for the Cheltenham Festival last week? 

Should Shishkin have been deemed a runner after refusing to race in the 1965 Chase at Ascot?  

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