Leading Gold Cup hopes Native River and Clan Des Obeaux in line for Denman Chase

The best could have been saved until last as far as clues for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup are concerned after the second and third favourites for the Friday festival feature were entered in the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

2018 Gold Cup winner Native River will bid to repeat last year's Newbury prep win for Colin Tizzard and challenge Presenting Percy for Gold Cup favouritism. Recent King George VI Chase scorer Clan Des Obeaux also features among ten possibles.

Tizzard said: "This is Native River's prep race for the Gold Cup. I think the course at Newbury will suit him. He is a strong stayer and he has very good form around Newbury. If they have the forecast rain and it’s good to soft, he’ll be there.”

The Mark Bradstock-trained Coneygree and Thomas Patrick, a leading novice last season who has disappointed this campaign including when favourite for the Ladbrokes Trophy at the track, are also entered.

Leopardstown's loss last weekend could be Newbury's gain as two of the intended Irish Gold Cup runners last Sunday could be rerouted to Berkshire, after the ground firmed up enough to rule them out of the Dublin Racing Festival.

Anibale Fly, one of last season's leading Irish chasers, and Noble Endeavor also feature among the ten entries. Nicky Henderson, trainer of last year's Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite, will possibly test the waters with Beware The Bear and Gold Present.

The Last Samuri, the 2016 Aintree Grand National runner-up, and Ballyhill are the other entries.

The five-day acceptance stage for the valuable Betfair Hurdle saw 23 stand their ground, including ante-post favourite Al Dancer.

The Betfair Exchange Chase, registered as the Game Spirit Chase, has been reopened due to a lack of entries. Altior, who has won the race for the last two years, had been ruled out of a defence with his revised schedule this year taking in two quick victories following his Tingle Creek success in December.

Tizzard is planning to saddle Fox Norton, who was runner-up to Altior in the Clarence House last month, in this Grade 2.

“I don’t know what is going to take him on but he had a nice introduction at Ascot and it was good to get him back on the racecourse,” said the trainer. “He hadn’t run since the 2017 King George.”

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