Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Betting Tips: Be Sweet On Foxtail

Martin Pennington

December 11th, 2018

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Quick Tips

• Bet On Rather Be to Win at 100/30 with Unibet
• Back Foxtail Hill Each-Way at 16/1 with 10Bet (4 places)

Baron Alco looks set to attempt a second big Cheltenham win this winter in Saturday's Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

The BetVictor Gold Cup winner won that handicap chase over course-and-distance last month, but has luck on his side as the well-fancied Rather Be was brought down late on.

That Nicky Henderson-trained rival is now all the rage in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup betting, with the odds on 2016 and 2017 winners Frodon and Guitar Pete not far behind.

Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Favourites

Nicky Henderson has won this £130,000 race three times, and his Rather Be now heads the betting for the 2018 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at 100/30 with Unibet.

The seven-year-old was in good form last season as a novice, a year which ended with him finishing a head second in a valuable handicap on soft going over 2m4f on the old course at theCheltenham Festival in March.

Rather Be was making his handicap debut over fences that day, and it was no shock to see him strongly fancied for a competitive renewal of of the BetVictor Gold Cup last month.

He races off the same handicap rating in Saturday's Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and has shown a liking for the undulating course at Cheltenham. Any rain between now and race time shouldn’t inconvenience Rather Be and hailing from a top yard he looks likely to prove hard to beat.

Second favourite Baron Alco (13/2 William Hill) has to defy a 6lb rise in the weights if he is to follow-up his BetVictor Gold Cup win. He was a deserved winner on the day, but he was clearly in the right place throughout the race.

“While the rest were getting in trouble in behind, they were up front, out of the way and getting on with it," said trainer Gary Moore." Baron Alco is all heart”.

Exotic Dancer was the last horse to complete the BetVictor Gold Cup – Caspian Caviar Gold Cup double when taking both in 2006, and though Baron Alco remains open to improvement, more will be needed if he is to emulate that Grade 1 winner.

>> Bet On Rather Be to Win at 100/30 with Unibet

Best Bet in Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

Foxtail Hill (16/1 10Bet) held chances turning for home in last year's Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, but weakened into sixth behind Guitar Pete (10/1 Betway). He has dropped 10lb in the handicap since that effort and, having run well over 2m5f at Cheltenham in the past, he can build on a promising seasonal debut.

That seasonal debut came in a 2m handicap chase on good ground here at the end of October. The nine-year-old raced from the front and failed to settle that day, but ran well in the circumstances to be third

The larger field set to go to post on Saturday should suit the Venetia Williams-trained contender, who represents a stable that know what it takes to win this race, having won it with Double Ross five years ago.

>> Back Foxtail Hill Each-Way at 16/1 with 10Bet (4 places)