Made some notes over the weekend for this, the first time properly in doing so. Feel it is going to be a majorly tough race to win this time around, provided all stand their ground and run.
I feel this years was weak, well weaker than it should have been, with so many being pulled out.
I have to say, I agree with Kev's original post, Our Duke for me looks the one to side with, he is incredibly lightly raced and it seems, albeit only the 2 runs over 3m+ that any stamina test is right up his street, we all know the Gold Cup is one hell of a test, so this will suit massively.
Interestingly, on breeding he ticks the boxes too, both Kicking King & War Of Attrition, winners of the 2005 & 2006 renewals of this race respectively, both had the same Dam's Sire (Good Thyne) as Our Duke does. The past 7 runnings of this race only one other horse, Home Farm (a 100/1 shot) with the same Dam Sire has run, but as expected from a 100/1 shot was completely outclassed, Our Duke has that class, as he's already shown, so no concerns on that front.
Our Duke is also by the same sire as 2014 winner, Lord Windermere, another positive.
For me there are less negatives about Our Duke than some of the other market leaders. 10/1 seems fair to me.
Might Bite is talented, Yorkhill too, though unlike Might Bite, Yorkhill has yet to see out this type of stamina test under rules and accordingly I find his price abysmal, not to mention you never know what mental state that one is in too. Might Bite would need to sort himself out to win a race of this magnitude, talent will only get you so far IMO!
Sizing John won this last year, and won it well enough, though for me I don't feel it was a strong renewal and next year may well find him out, against better opposition.
Most of the ones behind are held on form by Sizing John, so unless they improve throughout this season I can't have them beating him let alone one of the new crop in this sphere.
Thistlecrack would be the likely one to beat the lot, though, I know it was only the one race, I would have liked to have seen him more resilient up that hill when getting beat by Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase earlier in the year, for this reason I can also see Our Duke doing the same to him if he doesn't have a sufficient enough lead before then that is.
Honorable mentions to both Coney Island and Acapella Bourgeois, the latter beating Our Duke over hurdles over shorter distances, and has also, as been noted earlier in this thread moved to Willie Mullins, who can surely only find improvement in him, though was hammered by Might Bite at this years festival!
