BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, Newbury 13:55 £100,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 3f 187y, Class 1  |
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1 Heltenham 17/2
2 Kandoo Kid 9/2C
3 Gustavian 11/1
9 ran Distances: 2l, 8l, 1l
Time: 5m 10.80s (slow by 17.80s)
🏆 The @BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup 🏆
— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) March 2, 2024
🥇 Heltenham
🥈 Kandoo Kid
🥉 Gustavian
Heltenham - for @DSkeltonRacing with @CM_Gethings on board - takes the spoils in today's £100,000 feature race 👌 pic.twitter.com/nHjcxBXkbV
Just a week after narrowly missing out on victory at Kempton, Dan Skelton’s seven-year-old gelding, Heltenham, returned to the track as a 17-2 shot. Under the skilled guidance of jockey Ciaran Gethings, Heltenham made a strong move in the home straight, surging past the leaders and taking the lead before the second-to-last obstacle.
Despite a spirited challenge from Kandoo Kid, a 9-2 joint-favorite aiming to secure Paul Nicholls’ 10th Greatwood Gold Cup win, Heltenham held his ground. When pressed, he found an extra gear and crossed the finish line with a comfortable two-length margin, securing his second course and distance victory.
“It’s definitely the biggest pot I’ve won, it’s just brilliant to be riding horses like this for a brilliant outfit like the Skeltons,” Gethings told Sky Sports Racing.
“I got instructions from both Harry and Dan and it’s a nice payday. He loved the ground, he was very unlucky last week in Cheltenham and the track would have suited him a lot better today.
“When you’re surrounded by people like the Skeltons and Stuart Edmunds and Kim Bailey you’re going to find a good one at some point, it was nice”
Greatwood Gold Cup (Grade 3 Handicap)
£100,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 3f 187y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Heavy, Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Heltenham 7 10-9 Dan Skelton Ciaran Gethings 17/2
2 2 Kandoo Kid 8 11-5 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 9/2C
3 8 Gustavian 9 10-10 Anthony Honeyball Rex Dingle 11/1
4 1 Sir Psycho 8 11-1 Harry Derham Paul O'Brien 8/1
5 10 Gemirande 8 10-13 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 12/1
6 5½ Bill Baxter 8 11-0 Warren Greatrex James Bowen 9/2C
PU Jetoile 9 12-0 Ryan Potter Dylan Johnston 8/1
PU Grandeur D'Ame 8 10-12 Alan King Tom Cannon 8/1
PU Highstakesplayer 8 10-9 Tom Lacey Stan Sheppard 9/2C
