'His lack of experience is a worry' - can Emmet Mullins and JP McManus hotpot justify favouritism?

The Magners Plate is best thought of as being the Paddy Power Gold Cup with novices thrown into the mix. Like the Paddy Power, most of its main players are horses with course form, sometimes an extensive amount. But these types can be vulnerable to improvers, which is where the novices tend to come in when it comes to the Plate.

Even when novices have won this race, you have not had to look far for course specialists. When The Shunter won in 2021, and Simply The Betts in 2020, the most recent winner of the Paddy Power featured among the placed horses.

This year's running has its share of familiar faces, who should make up your Placepot perm even if you back likely favourite So Scottish to win. Il Ridoto and Fugitif were first and second in the corresponding race on Festival Trials day, Midnight River won on New Year's Day, Datsalrightgino chased home Stage Star in the novice handicap that Simply The Betts used in 2020.

Then there is Coole Cody. He won this race last year and in his time has also won the Paddy Power and December Gold Cup. His overall Cheltenham record reads three wins, a second, a third and two fourths from 13 starts, most of them in top handicaps.

Coole Cody is now below last year's winning mark, when his performance on Racing Post Ratings was 10lb higher than his BHA mark. That is a fairly typical standard for winning this race and it demands that So Scottish needs to improve by more than half a stone and Haut En Couleurs needs to show himself basically Grade 1 class off 157.

Even in this era of Irish dominance at Cheltenham, the handicap chases have remained fairly friendly to the home team and the weight of numbers is in their favour this time. The onus is on So Scottish to improve past the likes of Il Ridoto, Fugitif and Midnight River, who could all be said to be heading in the right direction themselves.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

'He's been off the track a while but hopefully we have him in good shape'

Emmet Mullins saddled the winning favourite in this race back in 2021 with The Shunter and he will be hoping to repeat that success with So Scottish on only his fourth start over fences.

Horses sent across the Irish Sea from Mullins' stable have proved profitable to follow in the last five seasons with a strike-rate of 14 wins from 51 runners, leading to a profit of £41.99 profit to a £1 stake and he looks to have a cracking team for the last two days.

So Scottish was an impressive winner of a novice chase at Tipperary last October before landing cramped odds at Carlisle later that month. He was then acquired by leading owner JP McManus after finishing second to Boothill at Ascot in November before being put away for this race.

The handicapper hit him with an 11lb rise for that second so improvement will be required now back up in trip but his unexposed profile over fences will no doubt be an attractive proposition to punters.

Mullins is hoping the six-year-old's lack of experience won't count against him in one of the most competitive handicaps of the week. He said: "He's been off the track a while but hopefully we have him in good shape. The lack of experience in a big field handicap like this and coming off a break will be a bit of a worry. We're not quite sure what his best trip is yet so we'll find out more about him in this race."

What they say

Kim Bailey, trainer of Two For Gold
The plan all season had been to run at Lingfield in January but that was abandoned and then there was no point running him at Ascot where the ground was too quick, so he hasn't been out since November. We'd be happy to see more rain but it will be soft enough for him to run whatever. It's a tough ask off but it's very difficult to find a race for him.

Sam Thomas, trainer of Stolen Silver
He's on a high mark but as long as he's recovered sufficiently from his disappointing run at Warwick he should have an each-way chance. He loves it here.

Midnight River: "big chance" according to trainer Dan SkeltonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dan Skelton, trainer of Midnight River
He's got a big chance. He likes a bit of soft ground and we've kept him fresh since New Year's Day. A 7lb rise is noticeable but not impossible. He'll go well.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Escaria Ten, Mars Harper and Gevrey
We thought Escaria Ten hadn't been seeing out his races over staying trips and a strongly run contest over this sort of trip might suit him better. It's something of a fact-finding mission. Mars Harper is generally consistent and this sort of race will suit him, but Gevrey looks to have a bit to find in such a competitive race.

Richard Hobson, trainer of Fugitif
If it rains and rains a lot, he can jump and travel in that ground. He's not a good ground horse and doesn't have the speed of some of the others but soft ground is nothing to him. He's very fresh, has a good jockey and has good form over course and distance.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Il Ridoto
He won very well there last time, when the cheekpieces helped, and he's gone up 8lb for that which is probably deserved. If he repeats his run from Trials day then he'd have a lovely chance.

Jamie Snowden, trainer of Datsalrightgino
We've campaigned him mainly over two miles, but he stepped up in trip at Cheltenham in January and chased home Stage Star in what I think was a pretty solid race. We wanted a run in between now and then, so went to Kempton for the Pendil, but that was right-handed and we're better left-handed on an undulating track. He's stepping into an open handicap company for the first time, but he's a progressive young horse and this trip on the New course should suit him well. It's competitive, but he could have a few pounds of improvement in him. He's a big, strong horse now so I think he'll cope with conditions fine.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Embittered
We think the step up in trip will suit but he's probably at the higher end of his handicap mark. He's been well recently and his best form would see him in the mix but he'll need a career best to win.

Joe Tizzard, trainer of War Lord
I lost him a bit over Christmas but he seems to be coming back and if he's in the form he was as a novice last season he should have an each-way chance.

Coole Cody: "older and wiser now"Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Evan Williams, trainer of Coole Cody
He's grand but is older and wiser now. Doing what he did last season is seldom done but we'll give it a go. The track and ground will be fine.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Marvel De Cerisy, Champagne Gold
Marvel De Cerisy is a nice horse who just didn't handle Fairyhouse at all last time. He seems in great form. Obviously he lacks handicap experience but he is a horse we like. Champagne Gold ran well here back in October. He seems in good form and we planned to come here for this since. He might prefer slightly nicer ground.

Ben Pauling, trainer of Shakem Up'Arry, Bowtogreatness
I was hoping to run Shakem Up'Arry in the Grand Annual and we're going to have to ride him to stay two and a half miles. There will be slightly less forceful tactics than last time. He's in very good form and he loves bottomless ground. It hasn't clicked at all for Bowtogreatness this season and his race was over when he nearly got brought down at the first last time. He's A1 physically and he's got a big engine and we'll see if he can pick up few places in the latter stages.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Frero Banbou
It is his first time over this sort of distance but he's always promised to stay further than two miles.
Reporting by Conor Fennelly

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