Maxwell chasing December Gold with Simply The Betts

Amateur rider takes on Cheltenham feature.

Hot on the heels of a Sandown winner last weekend, David Maxwell is now fixing his sights on claiming the valuable AIS December Gold Cup at Cheltenham with Simply The Betts.

The amateur rider has his detractors in the saddle but as his victory by a nose on Dolphin Square showed last Saturday, his persistence can never be questioned.

Trained by Paul Nicholls, Simply The Betts was beaten 12 lengths into seventh by Ga Law in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month and as Maxwell admits, the race a month later tends not to be as strong.

The nine-year-old was a Festival winner for Harry Whittington in 2020 and has now dropped down to the same mark.

“He ran really nicely in the Paddy Power and you’d like to think he will come on for the run a little bit, so I hope he can be competitive,” said Maxwell.

“It doesn’t looks as strong as the Paddy Power – as it is every year that was a very strongly-run race, they went a hell of a gallop, it was almost a graded race. They went a million miles an hour from flagfall so hopefully this should be a little easier.

“I think he’s got each-way claims. I’m not going to say I think he’s going to win by any means, but I think it’s fair enough to say he’s got each-way claims. I’d be very happy if he finished in the first four.

“I daren’t think about winning at Sandown and Cheltenham in successive weeks!”

War Lord (grey) and Il Ridoto meet once more
War Lord (grey) and Il Ridoto meet once more (Steven Paston/PA)

Nicholls also runs Il Ridoto and with Dan Skelton deciding the ground was too fast for ante-post favourite Midnight River, he is the ante-post favourite after finishing fourth in the Paddy Power.

“The three in front of him that day in the Paddy Power all had the advantage of a previous run and he would have been closer but for making a mistake at the last fence,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“Il Ridoto has come on for the outing and I think the stiffer nature of the New Course will suit him better.”

Norman Lee’s Sole Pretender is the only runner travelling from Ireland and will be ridden by star conditional Michael O’Sullivan, who partnered his first Grade One winner last weekend on Marine Nationale.

One who has been well backed this week is the Richard Hobson-trained Fugitif.

Richard Hobson's Fugitif has been well supported in recent days
Richard Hobson’s Fugitif has been well supported in recent days (Mike Egerton/PA)

The seven-year-old chased home the rapidly-improving Amarillo Sky over two miles at the November meeting and now steps back up in trip .

“His form is looking good, it’s just the same old story at the weekend where it’s going to end up being good ground I guess and that is not what he wants. He definitely wants the softer side of good, if not softer,” said Hobson.

“The trip won’t make any difference, he’ll want three miles eventually.

“He’s not that quick but he’s got a high cruising speed and softer ground will help him travel more comfortably. If it’s on the quicker side, something would possibly get him out of his comfort zone. So hopefully the ground has a bit of ease in it.”

Evan Williams won the race last year with Coole Cody and this season is represented by Coconut Splash.

“If the meeting goes ahead, we’ll be there. It will be a last-minute job and they will give it every opportunity,” he said.

“I don’t know what chance he has got. It is a huge step up in class. He is a maiden over fences and I would have hoped he would have won a novice chase by now.

“He has only won a maiden hurdle in his life, so you couldn’t say he is a prolific scorer. You go there hoping that a big field might help him, but he has to step up on what I have seen so far.”

Others in the mix include Joe Tizzard’s War Lord, the Venetia Williams-trained Frero Banbou and Nicky Henderson’s Fantastic Lady.

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