12th November 2015

Hi ,

My new greyhound service Trap2Line has started with a bang the first two Max bets winning at 6/4 and Evens and this service landed a nice touch last week at Fontwell with the Max Clondaw Cian coming in at 5/1. 

The Potential top-weights Ptit Zig and Sound Investment top 28 confirmations for the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.25pm) at Cheltenham on the day two of The Open, Saturday.

Both are trained by champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls in Somerset. Ptit Zig (11st 12lb, 20/1 with Paddy Power) made a winning return to action in a Grade Two chase at Down Royal on October 31, while Sound Investment (11st 12lb, 16/1) produced a career-best when capturing the Grade Two Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 25. Nicholls, who has won two of the last three winners of the Paddy Power Gold Cup in Al Ferof (2012) and Caid Du Berlais (2014), has also left recent course victor Art Mauresque (11st, 14/1) in the prestigious handicap chase over an extended two and a half miles. 

Kings Palace (11st 7lb), bidding to redeem himself after a disappointing performance in the RSA Chase at The Festival in March, is the 7/1 market leader with Paddy Power. His trainer David Pipe also has confirmed another leading fancy in Monetaire (10st 8lb, 10/1), who was runner-up to Darna (Kim Bailey, 10st 12lb, 25/1) at The Festival, and unexposed French recruit La Vaticane (10st 1lb, 20/1) at the foot of the weights. A maximum field of 20 can go to post. 

Dr Richard Newland is going for another handicap chase success with Boondooma (11st 7lb, 8/1), who was the impressive front-running victor over two miles in the £50,000 winner.co.uk Handicap Chase at The Showcase last month out and looks sure to go very close. 

Generous Ransom (10st 7lb, 16/1) also has a course success to his name, having taken the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase on Festival Trials Day in January, and was third toIrish Cavalier (Rebecca Curtis, 11st 9lb, 10/1) in the Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase over Saturday's course and distance at The Festival in March.
 
The seven-year-old warmed up for the Paddy Power Gold Cup with a run over hurdles at The Showcase on October 24. 

Trainer Nick Gifford said today: "Generous Ransom is in good form. He will have all his final checks later this week and we would like to see a bit of rain to keep the ground on the easy side.”

"On his win at Cheltenham on Trials day and his run the novices' handicap at The Festival, he deserves to take his chance off a feather-weight.” 

"His run over hurdles last time wasn't ideal because he got trapped up the inner, slipped on the bend and didn't jump particularly well. But I wanted to get a run into him and not affect his (handicap) mark. It was a pipe-opener and he had a good workout.”

"He has got to find some improvement from somewhere. He had a minor wind operation and we have trained him slightly differently this season. The proof will be in the pudding when he runs at the weekend." 

Generous Ransom is 16/1 chance with Paddy Power. Gifford's late father Josh saddled Bradbury Star to win back-to-back renewals of the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 1993 & 1994 and also rode Charlie Worcester to victory in 1967.

Yours in sport.

Back Next Thursday.

Kevan Minter - The Colonel.

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