National Hunt Chase or Gold Cup conundrum for Royale Pagaille’s connections

The Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner, and whilst us punters are away getting lost in the form guides and scouring the internet for the best Cheltenham odds today, the top owners and trainers will be deep in discussions about the best possible entries for their prized assets. The connections making the right decision is the difference between winning and losing at Prestbury Park, and even for an owner as esteemed as Rich Ricci there are difficult calls to make.

Perhaps the largest predicament the American businessman faces ahead of this year’s Festival is what race he should target with the Royale Pagaille. The seven-year-old isn’t exactly the most famous name from Ricci’s well-established contingent, and that’s perhaps because he isn’t part of the top trainer Willie Mullins’ yard, like most of Ricci’s successful horses.

Royale Pagaille joined Venetia Williams’ yard from Francois Nicolle last January and didn’t get off to the best of the starts in England, failing to win his first two races. However, the horse has burst onto the scene in recent months and three victories on the trot for the seven-year-old has resulted in his odds being drastically slashed in a few of the Grade 1 outings.

It was the most recent victory at Haydock in January that really made punters and pundits sit up and take notice. Before the Handicap Chase, Royale Pagaille was as far out as 50/1 to win the Gold Cup. However, after going on to beat Potters Legend by an impressive 16 lengths, the Ricci-owned horse has moved into third favourite at just 8/1, behind only A Plus Tard and dual winner Al Boum Photo.

Despite all Ricci’s success at Cheltenham and his iconic pink and green polka dot colours never being far from the Prestbury Park winner’s enclosure, the Gold Cup is one that has eluded him thus far, and whilst Monkfish was being tipped earlier this year as his best chance of glory in the showpiece some years down line, perhaps he won’t have to wait that long after all.

However, a final decision in which race Royal Pagaille will compete in is still some way away, and it’s worth noting that he is as short as 5/2 in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Chase, making him the favourite ahead of the likes of Galvin and Latest Exhibition.

Nonetheless, Ricci’s racing manager Joe Chambers urged his bosses last month to enter Royal Pagaille for the Gold Cup as opposed to the Grade 2 race.

“Given his prominence in the betting for the Gold Cup, I would like to see him take his chance in it this year,” Chambers told the Guardian. “He has experience and the trip should not be a problem, but his best form to this point has been on flat tracks. The way I look at it is, let’s find out that he handles Cheltenham in the Gold Cup, rather than the National Hunt Chase.”

Of course, the Gold Cup would be a massive step up for the seven-year-old. Royale Pagaille is yet to take part in a Grade 1 race let alone win one, and for the Cheltenham showpiece, usually the winner needs to have at least had one run at Cheltenham and a top-grade win under their belt.

Following January’s win at Haydock, Williams was quick to quash talk of the Gold Cup, so it will be interesting to see what the final decision is from all those involved in the coming days!

Meanwhile, there was another headache for Ricci ahead of the Festival as his horse Benie Des Dieux, who was amongst the favourites in the Stayers’ Hurdle Non Runner Money Back Ante Post betting, was pulled out of the running by trainer Mullins.