Power Fancies Not Guaranteed A Run

Connections of leading Paddy Power Gold Cup fancies Granit Jack and Abragante face an anxious wait to see whether they will be able to take their chance after 38 horses were declared at the confirmation stage.

Henry Daly's Ryanair Chase runner-up Billyvoddan is at the head of the weights followed by L'Ami and Forget The Past for the showpiece of the three-day meeting at Cheltenham.

But with only a maximum of 20 runners due to go to post, Paul Nicholls' Granit Jack needs eight to drop out while David Pipe's Badger Ales Trophy winner Abragante needs 14 to fall by the wayside.

Other leading fancies to stand their ground include Knowhere, Crozan, Don't Push It, L'Antartique, Bob Hall and Copsale Lad.

Among the notable withdrawals were Taranis and Fair Along.

Nicholls has had the Paddy Power Gold Cup in his mind as an ideal starting point for the John Hales-owned Supreme Novices' Hurdle runner-up.

As he had already won over fences in France, he is not eligible for novice chases, meaning he has to start his career over the larger obstacles in open company.

Hales said: 'Granit Jack is fine. He's absolutely flying at home in training and we are looking forward to Saturday, but we don't know if we are in the Paddy power Gold Cup or not.

'He's never run over fences in England. Unfortunately he is one of those that we bought from France as a novice chaser where he won four out of five.

'That meant that when he came over to the UK we had to have a season novice hurdling with him instead.

'He came second in the Supreme Novices' and our long-term aim is obviously the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

'We want to be in the Paddy Power on Saturday but whether we will be or not we don't know,' he told At The Races.

As a result of the uncertainty regarding the participation of the ante-post market leaders, sponsors Paddy Power have seen support for Jonjo O'Neill's Don't Push It.

He is now their 4-1 favourite with Granit Jack and Abragante next best at 5-1.

Paddy Power said: 'It's the bumper entry this great race deserves, but it has left punters scratching their heads with some horses at the top of the market unlikely to get a run.

'At the moment we're up to our back teeth in Don't Push It, but five days is a long time in racing!'

Paddy Power Gold Cup; sponsors bet: 4-1 Don't Push It, 5-1 Abragante, Granit Jack, 7-1 L'Antartique, 10-1 Copsale Lad, 12-1 Crozan, Knowhere, Vodka Bleu, 14-1 Bob Hall, Private Be, 16-1 Idole First, New Little Bric, 25-1 Kings Brook, Ponmeoath, Palarshan, Three Mirrors, Royal County Star, 33-1 bar

(C) PA Sport