15:20 Cheltenham: Sir Des Champs to give Mullins greatest victory
Published:Willie Mullins has already enjoyed his most productive Festival ever and it would be more than the icing on the cake should he secure Cheltenham Gold Cup glory for the first time.
Although Bobs Worth (11/4) will take some serious beating, the form of the Mullins team gives Sir Des Champs major claims and he is just given the edge to triumph at 7/2.
Both of this pair are unbeaten at Cheltenham, both are previous Festival winners and both have few glitches in their armoury.
Bobs Worth does go well fresh, but his absence from the racecourse since landing the Hennessy Gold Cup at the start of December does bring some concern.
After all, not since Garrison Savannah in 1991 has a horse tasted Gold Cup success having run no more than once in the same season en route to Cheltenham.
Meanwhile, of the 31 horses to have attempted the Hennessy and Cheltenham Gold Cup double in the same season, only five have been successful.
Sir Des Champs has been slowly wound up all campaign and it is possible that he was not fully at his best when fourth in the Lexus Chase over Christmas, despite losing by less than a length in the end to Tidal Bay.
He has appeared to be better left-handed, which should also aid his chances here, while any late rain would be a further boost.
Many Mullins horses have produced their season’s bests at Cheltenham this week and it would be no surprise to watch Sir Des Champs follow suit.
Of the others, Long Run (9/2) appears to have place chances at best despite the potential positives of first-time headgear and it would be hard for him off level weights, but he is effectively giving the whole field 5lb because Sam Waley-Cohen cannot claim his amateur allowance.
Silviniaco Conti is 9/2 and lines up as the form horse in the race, but he is plenty short enough given he has never run at Cheltenham and is still to prove that he is not just a flat-track bully.
If Captain Chris performs to his best, he is not without an each-way chance at 14/1, while 12/1 is about right on Cape Tribulation if the ground gets softer.
Meanwhile, punters struggling to make a firm decision on the Cheltenham Gold Cup may want to pick a horse at random with this roulette wheel.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
