Mister Whitaker able to bear the weight of Gold Cup expectation

Mister Whitaker can continue his love affair with Cheltenham by registering a third course success in the Betvictor Gold Cup today.

Doubters will point to a 7lb hike in the weights as a potential stumbling block for the Mick Channon-trained sixyear-old. That rise was due to an emphatic victory in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on his seasonal debut earlier this month.

The Channon team will have been fully aware of the repercussions that day, but it was a race worth winning in itself and will have put Mister Whitaker spot on for this valuable handicap chase.

The Carlisle venture was Mister Whitaker’s first run since the second of his two wins at Cheltenham last term, in the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Festival in March when he got up just before the line to deny the reopposing Rather Be by a head.

It is likely, therefore, that Mister Whitaker needed the match practice which would outweigh the extra pounds he was given – and, with just six runs over fences under his belt, it is fair to suggest there is more improvement to come.

Rock The Kasbah can show the benefit of his first outing for six months by winning the Betvictor.com Handicap Chase.

The Philip Hobbs-trained stayer ran well for a long way when sixth to The Young Master at Chepstow last month, after finishing second to Step Back in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on his previous start in April.

Intrestingly, he was sent off the 2-1 favourite at Chepstow.

Rock The Kasbah is certainly worth another chance with the stable in top form, and he did shape encouragingly on his only effort over these fences over a much shorter distance than this near three and a half miles.