Trainer Jamie Snowden has set his sights on something of a miraculous double success, looking to capture the Coral Gold Cup with his horse, Colonel Harry, before then taking the Randox Grand National next April, a feat achieved by Many Clouds.
Snowden’s stable captured the Gold Cup last time around, with Datsalrightgino doing the honours, and his Colonel Harry is currently the 8/1 favourite for the National Hunt steeplechase, which is sure to pull in a huge number of punters backing the seven-year-old.
Those who are considering placing a wager on the esteemed event would do well to make the most of the horse racing odds here, along with a raft of additional insider info that will aid your betting endeavours.
Colonel Harry on the Double for Snowden?
In his seven runs over fences to date, Colonel Harry has shown remarkable consistency, never finishing outside the top six, winning at Wetherby in January and picking up a second-place run in Carlisle earlier this month, where he was beaten by Marble Sands.
Our first live race of the afternoon goes the way of Colonel Harry!
He wins the William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase for the pairing of @GavinSheehan92 & @jamiesnowden ! #ITVRacing | @WetherbyRaces pic.twitter.com/Q9R9ucLtCZ
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) January 13, 2024
On his hopes of pulling off the double, Snowden commented,
“Colonel Harry showed all his early form over two miles but benefited by going up to two and a half and certainly looks like a horse who is going to want a trip as well. Again, this is the first time he’s going up to the kind of distance he faces at Newbury but, if he stays, he’s got every chance.”
“We’re dreamers. You’ve got to be optimistic in this game, and I’ve been thinking about this race for Colonel Harry since we won it last year. I thought his comeback at Carlisle on ground a little bit on the quicker side for him and on a right-handed track over two and a half miles was a great run and the perfect prep.” Snowden stated before adding,
“He is a second season chaser that has had a prep run, and he is unexposed over these staying trips.”
“Going from two and a half miles up to three-and-a-quarter miles is a bit of a gamble, but he is a previous Irish point-to-point winner with stamina in his pedigree, so you would like to think the extra yardage would bring about further improvement.”
“It is a lovely position to be in, and I don’t feel the pressure so much more, so I’m rather enjoying the challenge,” Snowden concluded.
Other Leading Contenders
Second in the Coral Gold Cup betting is Broadway Boy, followed by Senior Chief, Victtorino and Midnight River.
Paul Nicholls will be banking on Kandoo Kid, who won at the meeting last year, a horse he believes could have enough to complete the win,
“Kandoo Kid will run in the Coral Gold Cup as that has always been his target as he likes it around here. He is a proper stayer in my book, and he loves Newbury. The race is all I ever thought of doing with Kandoo Kid.”
However, Nicholls has chosen to leave out his Bravemansgame, with the nine-year-old being saved for the Randox Grand National instead. Sixteen horses have been confirmed for the race.
