Celestial Gold Heads The Weights For Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup

Celestial Gold (11st 12lb), who recorded a memorable double last season in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Hennessy Gold Cup, heads the weights for the £110,000 Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup (sponsored by totesport) at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 10, details of which are revealed today.

In addition to Celestial Gold, trainer Martin Pipe could also rely on this season´s Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Our Vic (11st 10lb), as well as It Takes Time (11st 4lb), Therealbandit (11st 2lb), Locksmith (11st), Whispered Secret (10st 8lb), Tango Royal (10st 4lb) and Polar Red (9st 9lb).

The Nicholashayne handler was successful in this contest with Fragrant Dawn in 1993 and Northern Starlight five years later. Our Vic, a last fence faller last year when looking the likely winner, will be bidding to become only the third horse to take both the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup in the same season, following Pegwell Bay (1998) and Senor El Betrutti (1997).

Last year´s successful horse was Monkerhostin (11st 6lb), who will have to carry 18lb more if he is to become the first horse to win the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup twice.

Second in 2005 was Thisthatandtother (11st 9lb), who is theoretically a stone better in with Monkerhostin this time round. His trainer, Paul Nicholls, could also be represented by Armaturk (11st 5lb), My Will (11st), Le Passing (10st 7lb), Red Devil Robert (10st 3lb), Ladalko (9st 11lb) and Almost Broke (9st 10lb).

A likely runner in this season´s renewal is Europa (10st 2lb), third last year and an encouraging second on his latest appearance behind fellow Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup hopeful Bold Bishop (10st 10lb) last time out in a two and a half mile handicap chase at Newbury on November 26.

Trainer Ferdy Murphy said: 'Europa was third in this race last year but Our Vic fell at the last just as he was coming with a rattling run and he just got stopped in his tracks. At worst he would have been second and with a bit of luck in running he´d have won.

'He´s flying after Newbury, where he came right back to form. He looks to be coming back to himself and he´s in great order. His run at Newbury was fantastic and we´re looking forward to Cheltenham.

'At the moment, the plan is for him to run. Obviously, we´ll see what the ground is like because we do know now that he needs good ground. He doesn´t handle soft ground or holding ground.'

Murphy has two other entries at the foot of the handicap in the prestigious contest, the feature race of Cheltenham´s December Meeting, in Alexanderthegreat (9st 7lb) and You´re Special (8st 13lb), but the trainer is not sure if either will make the race.

He said: 'Alexanderthegreat had a good first run back in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle at the weekend after about 10 months off. He ran a cracking race and will improve for the run. He´s in at Kelso and Chepstow as well this weekend. The hurly burly of the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup may be just a bit too much for him at the moment so I´ll speak with the owners but we might wait with him.

'You´re Special may run at Doncaster the same day where he´s almost guaranteed the good ground he needs.'

Other interesting contenders for the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup among the record 52 entries include King Harald (10st), victorious in the inaugural Jewson Novices´ Handicap Chase at The Festival last season, and Our Armageddon (10st 1lb), successful in the 2004 Cathcart Chase (now the Ryanair Chase) who has the race pencilled in for his first start in close to two years.

The Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup commemorates the late Labour MP and racing enthusiast Robin Cook, who died earlier this year.

Cheltenham´s December Meeting starts on Friday, December 9, with a seven-race card and the highlight is the £50,000 Mears Group Chase (3.05pm), a handicap run over three miles, one and a half furlongs. Racing starts at 12.10pm that day.

Saturday, December 10´s action gets under way at 12.20pm, with the £75,000 totesport Bula Hurdle (3.10pm) being the main supporting race to the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup (sponsored by totesport). The ashes of triple totesport Gold Cup winner Best Mate will be laid to rest by the winning post before racing that day.