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Cheltenham Festival: Cue Card bids for bonus in Gold Cup

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Cue Card

Cue Card: unbeaten in three starts for new jockey Paddy Brennan

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By Andrew Dietz 9:21AM 18 MAR 2016 

CUE CARD goes in search of jump racing’s most coveted prize – and an extra large bonus for connections – as he takes on a formidable Irish team in today’s Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

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The £575,000 showpiece is the third leg of the Jockey Club Racecourses’ Chase Triple Crown, and with the Betfair Chase and King George safely negotiated the Colin Tizzard-trained star stands on the brink of a £1 million bonus.

Already a dual festival winner, Cue Card has been transformed by an operation on a trapped epiglottis and is unbeaten in three starts for new jockey Paddy Brennan this season.

‘Back to his very best’

The ten-year-old has shown his versatility with regards to the ground and his trainer expects the good going to suit.

“He handles heavy ground without a problem, but I’d say he’s the fastest horse in the race, so good ground will be absolutely fine,” said Tizzard.

“At the end of last season I couldn’t have expected to be in this position, but we always thought he’d have his time again.

“It wasn’t just his wind – he just didn’t look very well – but Sprinter Sacre showed they can come back from their ailments with a bit of time, and it’s fantastic to have him back at his very best.”

Victory for Cue Card would be a poignant one after the death of owner Jean Bishop’s husband Bob just four days after the King George.

Cossack shading favouritism

Betfred and Ladbrokes on Friday morning reported Cue Card to be strong in the market at 4-1, but the Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack is shading favouritism at 11-4 from last year’s runner-up Djakadam at 10-3.

Don Poli, the third leading contender from Ireland, can be backed at 5-1.

The ground at Cheltenham remained good on Friday morning following a dry night. A dry day is forecast and after a cold and misty start, temperatures are expected to get up to 7/8C.

Conditions ‘similar to Thursday’

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: “I was quite surprised to find temperatures dropped to -4C overnight but it has not got into the ground.

“There’s a little bit of moisture but we didn’t water the course last night apart from a furlong at the bottom of the hill.

“It’s real good ground and conditions will be similar to yesterday and may be slightly quicker.”

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