Cheltenham Saturday review: David Ord on Paddy Power Gold Cup

It’s amazing how life can send you such mixed messages.

Illness has swept through Ord Towers this week, ruling me out of day one of the November Meeting, and on Friday morning I was teetering on the brink of waving the white flag for the entire weekend.

But then, as I brewed a cup of tea and wondered what had become of me, I caught the sight of Mike Tyson, wearing only a pair of Versace briefs, slapping Jake Paul in the face.

And I thought if he can do that at the age of 58 then I, six years his junior albeit with air bags where he owns pecs and abs, can climb into a car and drive three hours to the home of jumps racing.

So I did just that. Two minutes into the trip I turned on Radio 2 to find out my inspiration had thrown around two punches a round against his younger opponent, been comprehensively beaten and both fighters booed from the ring.

But I’d gone by that point – in a rental car that kept flagging up a flashing cup light on the dashboard. Fearing it was Vauxhall’s way of telling me there was a coolant issue I pulled into Woodhall Services in a panic to Google it.

It turns out it’s a warning that the erratic driving style suggested the driver requires a break. I’d been going for 20 minutes.

Anyway, the one thing you know when you get to Cheltenham is that – unlike the 70,000 who packed into a Texas arena to watch two big men show that age plus a severely limited opponent do not a showpiece make – is you won’t regret the effort.

Not when two of the British heavyweights deliver. No slapping, or Versace pants in sight (although I know who I'd make favourite of the two to own a pair).

Dan Skelton landed the first blow, L’Eau Du Sud sauntering to victory in the Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase.

“The Brits are back,” the Racing Post’s Dave Jennings told me as we headed to the winners’ enclosure.

“Don’t worry, we’ve hundreds more like that,” I warned. Not a man to play poker with.

Clearly the trainer thinks very few young chasers are in this particular grey’s league, but we were not getting a quote along the lines of “he’s the next coming”.

Instead, the handler said: “I’ll always defend my horses, but I try not to overhype them because they have enough pressure on them anyway.”

To be fair he said that and a whole a lot more to the huddled press ranks long after the winner returned to a tremendous reception.

L’Eau du Sud is owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, John and Lisa Hales.

It's Fergie time all right

Il Ridoto, Paul Nicholls’ latest Paddy Power Gold Cup winner, is owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, John and Lisa Hales.

On Friday evening Spirit Dancer won the $1million Bahrain International Trophy. Mason and Ferguson own him alongside Peter Done.

Potter’s Charm, the exciting Albert Bartlett winner for the Nigel Twiston-Davies team on Friday’s card, carries the same colours as Il Ridoto and races for a partnership that includes Mason and Ferguson.

So, when Nicholls reached to turn his phone off seconds before the start of a live ITV interview with Rishi Persad only to see “Ged M calling” you could sense his dilemma.

But by then the questions had started. He could always blame a lack of reception at a busy Prestbury Park (please note any Jockey Club officials reading this there were no such issues) but the second the interview ended, Mason called back and this time the green accept button was pressed instantly.

“I told him that Willie Twiston-Davies spent the winnings from yesterday at the sales on Friday night, I’ll be spending these tomorrow!” the trainer roared.

Nicholls and Skelton are bang up for the season ahead. They want rain and lots of it to unleash the full armadas in the coming days.

I didn’t think it was the time to say snow and frost were also in the forecast ahead of next week’s Betfair Chase.

These British big guns are acutely aware of the need to operate in the here and now. Win what you can, while you can. The pecking order will be clear as the March gloom descends shortly after racing on four momentous days in the spring.

But that can wait. And for the likes of Ferguson, Mason and Done, days like these matter. The financial returns don’t make a hugely significant impact on their overall investment, but every little helps, as I’m sure a high street bank (remember them?) once said.

I could do with Mason’s number myself in case Jennings asks for the 100 other potential Grade One novice chasers I promised from these shores. Don’t make eye contact and leave via an alternative exit the only hope.

And that is that – until tomorrow when I’ll be mainly be backing Hymac from out of the handicap in the Holland And Cooper Handicap Chase and Be Aware in the Greatwood.

But not before a night in an Evesham hotel I vowed never to return to and savaged on tripadvisor after last year’s Festival. It turns out, when you decide late in the day to come to Cheltenham after all, there are very few inns left with room for a weary traveller.

So, I’m hoping the receptionist, who doubles up as breakfast chef, has a short memory, otherwise I’ll be fasting to start the sabbath. And that’s no way to approach a day’s racing at Cheltenham.

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