Native River seeks Gold Cup repeat

CHELTENHAM, England – No horse has won consecutive runnings of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 15 years, since the famous Best Mate was victorious for the third straight year in 2004. Kauto Star won the Gold Cup in 2007 and 2009 and was second in 2008. In this decade, Long Run, the 2011 winner, has come the closest, finishing third in 2012 and 2013.

No wonder some bettors are skeptical of 2018 winner Native River in Friday’s Grade 1 Gold Cup, worth $812,500. The Gold Cup is the richest race of the four-day Cheltenham festival, which concludes Friday at this scenic track 100 miles west of London. The Gold Cup is run at 3 1/4 miles over 22 fences and is the leading weight-for-age steeplechase in England, similar to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Typical of the buildup to the BC Classic, contenders for the Gold Cup tend to not have many starts in the preceding months. Of the 16 entrants in the Gold Cup, only two have had four starts since the season began in earnest in October – Double Shuffle and Elegant Escape. Most have had two or three starts.

Native River, a 9-year-old trained by Colin Tizzard, is winless in two starts this season – a second behind Gold Cup entrant Bristol de Mai in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in November and a third by 13 1/2 lengths behind Clan Des Obeaux, another Gold Cup entrant, in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Dec. 26.

“Five fences from the finish in the King George, you thought he was going to be pulled up, but then he stayed on really strongly,” Tizzard said last month. “If the race had been another couple of furlongs, he could have been right up with them at the finishing line.”

As of Wednesday, Native River was a co-favorite for the Gold Cup at 4-1, sharing the role with Presenting Percy, Ireland’s best chance.

Trained by Patrick Kelly, Presenting Percy, 8, won the Grade 1 RSA Novices’ Chase here last March and has had one subsequent start, winning the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle at three miles at Gowran Park in Ireland on Jan. 24. He was nominated for several chases in Ireland in recent months but did not start because of firmerthan-preferred ground.

No horse has won the Gold Cup without starting in a steeplechase earlier in the season since Easter Boy in 1929.

The track condition was soft Wednesday and is likely to be similar Friday.

Among other entrants, Clan Des Obeaux was 9-2 in the future book, while Kemboy was 11-1. Kemboy has won both of his starts this year, including the Grade 1 Savills Chase at three miles at Leopardstown on Dec. 28.

Kemboy is trained by Willie Mullins, the leading jumps trainer in Ireland who has yet to win the Gold Cup but has been second six times from 22 runners. This year, he has four runners, including Al Boum Photo, Bellshill, and Invitation Only.