Count on Meribel to bring home gold

COUNT MERIBEL (Cheltenham, 2.25) and Mark Grant are almost as inseparable as Ant and Dec, and the dynamic duo have strong claims on a landmark success in today’s BetVictor Gold Cup.

Grant has partnered the likeable seven-year-old in all 20 career starts and oversaw his fine reappearance effort behind Lostintranslation at Carlisle earlier this month.

It was no disgrace to be beaten by one of last season’s premier novices and a horse which appears likely to take a high rank in graded staying chases this term — so Count Meribel looks an intriguing proposition reverting to a handicap today.

It is best to catch Nigel TwistonDavies’s gelding fresh as his record in October and November reads well.

In fact, all five of his career victories have been achieved in those months from just seven starts, with 13 winless races outside those months. He is also extremely potent over today’s trip, with five starts of more than two miles and four furlongs yielding figures of 21112 and, bar an aberration at the second last at Cheltenham 12 months ago, he has jumped soundly.

It was to Count Meribel’s credit that he still won that day, beating subsequent Festival scorer Le Breuil in tenacious fashion.

Us And Them, runner-up in the Arkle last March, appeals as one of the likely dangers after showing up well on his Gowran reappearance, while Slate House displayed the benefit of a wind operation to trounce five rivals on his comeback and will be tough to beat if repeating that level of performance.