Church in line for Bet365 Gold Cup repeat Last year's winner Church Island is in a field of 25 left in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase at Sandown on Saturday. Michael Hourigan's veteran could bid to become only the third horse to win the prestigious end-of-season handicap in successive years after Larbawn (1968-9) and Topsham Bay (1992-3). There will be a big rise in the weights after Paul Nicholls scratched Kauto Star and What A Friend, as expected. The list is now headed by the Dessie-Hughes-trained Siegemaster, who fell in the Topham Chase at Aintree on his latest start. Hughes stated "I would be happy for him to take his chance as long as the ground was suitable. "He's fine after his fall and he didn't gallop too much afterwards. "We'll have a look and see. Ground-wise, we wouldn't want it too firm. "If it's good jumping ground we'd travel and for a race like that." The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Baby Run, winner of the Fox Hunters' Chase over the Grand National fences, is among the fancied horses standing his ground. Philip Hobbs has left in Balthazar King and Triggerman but has taken out Wishfull Thinking and Quinz. Among the other possibles are Suzy Smith's Aimigayle, the Pat Murphy-trained Maktu, Alex Hales' Iconoclast and David Pipe's pair of Faasel and Gentle Ranger. Richard Johnson is looking for Balthazar King to provide him with big-race wins on successive Saturdays. The jockey steered Beshabar to victory in the Scottish National at Ayr at the weekend and now has his eyes on the last big-race of the jumps season in the UK. "Balthazar King won the other day at Cheltenham and now he's got in the handicap proper I'd think he'd have a great chance," said Johnson. "The way he stayed on at Cheltenham up the hill there you'd hope he'd get the three mile, five furlongs." Balthazar King, trained by Johnson's main retainer Philip Hobbs, is set to carry 10st 11lb after the weights went up 18lb at the five-day confirmation stage with the defection of the two aforementioned Nicholls runners. Johnson and Hobbs have already teamed up to win the Sandown showpiece with Lacdoudal in 2006 and Monkerhostin in 2008. The rise in the weights has been welcomed by trainer David Pipe as he considers saddling both Faasel and Gentle Ranger. "They are both possibles now the weights have gone up a lot so they both get in the handicap proper and they are both in the Irish National as well. We will see later on in the week," the Nicholashayne handler told At The Races. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls will definitely be represented by Meanus Dandy and will make a decision later in the week on Gullible Gordon. "Meanus Dandy definitely runs which Ruby will ride," he said. "Gullible Gordon is the only other one I've declared and I'll just see how the week unfolds for him." Saddlers Storm for Tony Martin and The Last Derby for Eoin Griffin are the other two Irish entries.
