Audience is the only sure winner as huge cast fights for the spotlight in Coral Gold Cup

You can't beat a high-profile handicap that really delivers on its promise of a deep and competitive field. Just look at that Coral Gold Cup, the penultimate race on a packed Newbury card.

What a hefty slice of entertainment that promises to be, absolutely jammed with interesting horses representing so many trainers and owners that the paddock will be busier than all those Christmassy shopping malls we're avoiding on Saturday. The list of runners reminds me of those old war movies they used to make, when some ambitious producer would hire every male Hollywood star between the ages of 20 and 55 who fancied doing a bit of work that year.

You know the kind of thing. While you're still marvelling at the idea that someone got Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne and Rod Steiger into the same movie, Richard Burton shows up, soon to be followed by Sean Connery.