Paddy Power Gold Cup preview

Barry Geraghty is watching the skies at Cheltenham ahead of Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Geraghty partners the Charles Byrnes-trained Shanpallas, who is t he only Irish challenger in the field and was sixth 12 months ago.

Geraghty said: "It just depends on what the weather does as to what chance he'll have. There's a fair bit of rain forecast Saturday afternoon, which wouldn't help. Hopefully, if they escape the rain, he'll have some sort of a chance.

"He ran at Galway in the Plate and ran a good race in this last year and if the ground keeps drying, he's in there with a chance."

David Pipe is hopeful rather than confident about the chances of Kings Palace as the talented chaser aims to deliver the big prize he has long promised.

The seven-year-old has a formidable record at Cheltenham, having won four times from six previous visits, but has crucially disappointed when well fancied at the last two Festivals.

His three victories over fences at Prestbury Park have been achieved by dominating small fields - the opposite of what he will encounter this weekend.

Pipe revealed his charge has not been altogether convincing in the jumping department at home in recent weeks, which led to the trainer pondering his participation, but he gave him the green light after a pleasing session under stable jockey Tom Scudamore, who only returned from injury earlier this week.

Pipe said: "Kings Palace has not been as exuberant in his schooling as he was last season and I've been keen for Tom to school him, which he hasn't been able to do for a while because of his knee.

"But he schooled him earlier in the week, Tom was pleased and that was the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of letting him take his chance.

"If the real Kings Palace turns up, we think he's capable of running a big race. On the big occasion so far he hasn't come up with the goods, but we have a lot of faith in him and hopefully he can justify it on Saturday."

The Pond House operation is double-handed in the prestigious event, with Monetaire also a major contender having been placed on each of his two previous visits to Cheltenham.

"Monetaire won't mind the big field and any rain they get would help him," said Pipe.

"He ran very well at the Festival last year, we've been happy with him at home and if you forgot his run at Punchestown and he came back to the form of his run here in March, you could see him running very well.

"I'm happy with where both horses are and we're hoping for the best."

Pipe saddled his first Paddy Power Gold Cup winner with Great Endeavour in 2011, but still has some way to go to match his father Martin's record tally of eight previous winners.

"I try to forget about that," he quipped.

Grand National-winning trainer Dr Richard Newland has a leading hope in the form of Boondooma. The eight-year-old impressed over two miles at the track three weeks ago and steps back up