There's another million pound guaranteed placepot on Gold Cup day and the Racing Post's Gary Savage is here to try and get a piece of it.
1x2x2x2x1x2=16 lines
Leg One: Blood Destiny
Leg Two: Ballyadam/Hunters Yarn
Leg Three: Sandor Clegane/Favori De Champdou
Leg Four: Bravemansgame/Stattler
Leg Five: Vaucelet
Leg Six: Jeremys Flame/Magic Daze
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It doesn't pay to look outside the obvious in the Triumph (1.30) and with three places on offer it makes sense to just have a single selection with tougher contests to come.
The Mullins yard seem to know the time of day among their novice hurdlers especially and with strong support continuing for Blood Destiny, just stick with that one.
The Irish have had a stranglehold on County Hurdle (2.10) recently and their key trial is the Liffey Handicap Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Ballyadam, who was second in the Supreme in 2021, got his career back on track with third in that race and should be included.
Novices and second-season hurdlers also have a great record in recent times and with Willie Mullins, who has won this with two novices recently, mentioned the supreme for Hunters Yarn after his last win, which is hard to ignore.
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Sandor Clegane represents the leading recent Irish trial for the Albert Bartlett (2.50) and looks a thorough stayer, so in a race that throws up plenty of surprises make him part of your team along with Favori De Champdou for Gigginstown who breed the right type for this, and have had plenty run well in it.
The Gold Cup (3.30) is certainly not a race to look beyond the obvious with proven Grade 1 winners and those at the front of the market dominating.
It still makes sense to take on Galopin Des Champs though, considering the amount he is likely to take out of the market.
Bravemansgame has the perfect profile for the race and can prove good enough to at least hit the frame, while Stattler should stay better than most and can pick up the pieces.
The Hunter's Chase (4.10) is likely to go to the Irish again, as it has in nine of the last 12 years, and favourite Vaucelet has the perfect profile having proven himself at this level against last year's winner Billaway, and run in the most important trial for this so just put him in.
It will be hard to keep the top two out of the frame in the Mares Chase (4.50) but take them on with the next two in the market in Jeremys Flame and Magic Daze.
The former's win over Zambella reads very well in the context of this race as the runner-up was 4th in this last year beaten less than five lengths, while Henry De Bromhead's runners are in such rude health this week that Magic Daze can be given a chance to get the trip.
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