The David Pipe-trained Our Vic will have to defy top-weight of 11st 12lb if he is to make it third time lucky in the £150,000 Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup (2.40pm) over two miles and five furlongs at Cheltenham on Saturday, December 15, day two of the Boylesports International.

The top-class course and distance winner fell at the final fence with the 2004 Boylesports.com Gold Cup seemingly his for the taking and was then pulled up on his second attempt at the race 12 months later. On the latter occasion, Our Vic was attempting to add the prize to his victory in the previous month’s Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Currently a 12/1 shot with the sponsor Boylesports, the nine-year-old is rated 9lb higher than the next three horses in the weights, headed by the current 5/1 market leader and this season’s Paddy Power Gold Cup hero L’Antartique (11st 3lb).


Also allotted 11st 3lb is last season’s Boylesports.com Gold Cup runner-up Knowhere, who won over the course for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in October before taking third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and then running fifth behind Denman in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. Grade Two winner Cerium (11st 3lb), trained by Paul Nicholls, was fifth on his seasonal debut over hurdles at Newbury on November 30.

Cerium could line up alongside stablemates Turko (10st 13lb), Le Volfoni (10st 10lb), and last season’s Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase victor New Little Bric (10st 8lb), who is a 12/1 shot with the sponsor.

Abragante is a warm order in the betting at 7/1 after winning his first two starts this term prior to fading behind Denman at Newbury and Pipe’s charge is currently on 9st 12lb. The Pond House handler has six entered for the very valuable contest, with Madison Du Berlais (11st), Tamarinbleu (10st 13lb), Whispered Secret (9st 12lb) and Vodka Bleu (9st 8lb) completing his sextet.

Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Il Duce from Alan King’s stable is set to carry 10st 11lb, while the same trainer’s Howle Hill, a winner over two miles, three furlongs at Ascot last month on his return from over a year on the sidelines, has been allotted 10st 9lb.

North Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy enjoyed his latest sortie to Prestbury Park when L’Antartique was successful at The Open and his strong hand sees New Alco allotted 10st 9lb, while the well-regarded Three Mirrors has 9st 11lb.

Northern stables are well represented and the classy Faasel from Nicky Richards’ Cumbria yard has 10st 13lb. Cleveland-based Keith Reveley may saddle last season’s Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase winner Ungaro off 10st 12lb, while the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Roman Ark, successful over two miles at Haydock last time, has 10st 8lb.

The Nicky Henderson-trained five-year- old Jack The Giant, third in the Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at The Festival in March, could make his seasonal debut under 11st. The trainer saddled Copsale Lad (9st 13lb) to finish seventh in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Kalca Mome, trained by Philip Hobbs, benefitted from receiving 26lb from Voy Por Ustedes to win the two-mile paddypower.com Handicap Chase at The Open and has 10st 8lb here, while stablemate Private Be has been given 10st 1lb.

The Jessica Harrington-trained Knight Legend and Slim Pickings from Tom Taaffe’s yard both have 10st 10lb, while fellow Irish hope The Railway Man, trained by Arthur Moore, has 10st 7lb. The last-named, a Grade One-winning novice chaser, has not been seen since winning a hurdle at Naas in November, 2006.

Jackdaws Castle trainer Jonjo O’Neill, successful last year with Exotic Dancer and Legal Right in 1999, has three in the race with French import Newman Des Plages on 10st 1lb while Fier Normand has been allotted 9st 12lb and Bob Hall, sixth behind L’Antartique at The Open, has 10st 5lb.

Idole First (10st 6lb) was pulled up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but previously won the Grade Three Racing Post Plate over the course and distance at The Festival, with subsequent Paddy Power Gold Cup fourth Palarshan (10st 3lb) four lengths back in second.

The Carl Llewellyn-trained Cheltenham regular Too Forward has been alloted 10st 11lb, while stable companion Limited Edition, a winner of both his completed chase starts, has been given 9st 12lb.