PP Gold Cup: Three is the magic number for Third Intention
Published:
Trainer Colin Tizzard has a number of options for the forthcoming Paddy Power Gold Cup but Third Intention is perhaps the most attractive of his charges following an impressive run at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old gelding – a winner of five races so far – is now chasing a third victory at the famous Gloucestershire racecourse after a solid win in the Cheltenham Annual Members Novices’ Chase last time out.
Withdrawals saw that event reduced to a literal two-horse race but that did not detract from Third Intention’s performance under Joe Tizzard, with the gelding making all the running to leave odds-on favourite Rebel Fitz trailing by a length and a quarter at the finish line.
As a leading novice only last term, many may feel the showpiece event is too big a step up for Tizzard’s charge but the Dorset-based trainer appears unfazed.
“Novices have run in it before and he isn’t a complete novice because he was running over fences last year,” he explained.
The clear favourite for the Grade Three handicap chase, which kicks off The Open meeting at Cheltenham on 16th November, remains the David Pipe-trained Dynaste.
Seven of the last 10 winners of this event have been seven-year-olds and while Pipe’s charge missed out to Benefficient last year, he is fancied to make that eight of 11 at odds of 5/1.
However, despite four wins in his last five outings connections suggest that Dynaste has been underperforming in training in the build up to this event.
As such, with opposing Dynaste a viable option, the 16/1 on Third Intention – either as an outright bet or an each-way option – looks an increasingly tempting choice.
Elsewhere, 14/1 shot Benefficient also warrants inclusion this time round after beating Dynaste by three and a quarter lengths in the Jewson Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham earlier this year.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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