In Emmet they trust - but can Noble Yeats really be Gold Cup second favourite?

As with most things in life, by the time you reach a certain age as a punter, you develop a few ingrained habits that are hard to shake. And it is probably not to my credit that I take a while to be convinced about the merits of new races in the calendar, especially when it comes to jump racing.

For years after it was introduced I found I had an irrational distrust of the Fred Winter form at Cheltenham and made it a point of principle to oppose the winner when they were inevitably stepped straight into Grade 1 company at Aintree or Punchestown.

I've learned to moderate that approach as it has become clear the largest training and ownership concerns have such a broad range of talent they can run a horse they know to be top class in a handicap. In any case, I can afford to let my Fred Winter prejudice slide as I have a new target for my pique: the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree.