​Hi Reader

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is live on ITV from Cheltenham at 2:20. First run in 1960 as the Mackeson Gold Cup, it's the feature of the November Meeting and the first big handicap chase of the jumps season: a Premier Handicap over two and a half miles, and always one of the most competitive puzzles of the autumn.

2026 Race Overview & Key Details

• The Ground: The official going at Cheltenham is Good, after the course dried out and overnight frost stopped any watering. There were 18 ground-related non-runners on the card this morning, so a horse who handles quick ground is key.
• The Field: Fifteen were declared, and Madara, Johnnywho and Norn Iron are out, leaving 12 runners over 2m4f44y with £91,120 to the winner. Matata (OR 155) tops the weights on 12st.
• Market Leaders: Ben Pauling's Meetmebythesea, the Jack Richards winner at the Festival and ridden by Harry Cobden, heads the betting off a mark of 151. Dan Skelton's Blueking D'Oroux, making his debut for the yard, is also prominent in the market. Only one favourite (Stage Star in 2023) has won the last 13 runnings.
• Last Year: Panic Attack won the 2025 running at 6/1 for Dan Skelton, pulling four lengths clear of the 100/30 favourite Vincenzo, with Hoe Joly Smoke (9/1) third. Skelton is represented again by Blueking D'Oroux and Riskintheground, who was a non-runner last year.

Let's get into today's preview and tips.

Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 Tips: Quebecois & Torneo

Twelve runners line up for the Paddy Power Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Cheltenham, and we have two each-way selections.

Paul Nicholls looks to have a great chance of winning another Paddy Power Gold Cup. He trained Stage Star and Il Ridoto to win the race in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Quebecois is a horse we know well having backed him in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He jumped great as usual that day and just got outstayed up the hill over three miles and a furlong.

Previously on Cheltenham trials day he lost out by a nose to Jordans Cross over an extended two and a half miles on the new course. Paul has already got a prep run into Quebecois at Newton Abbot last month. A big chance off a lovely weight of eleven stone thanks to Matata running off top weight.

Torneo looks overpriced with the betting market concentrating on the pattern class novices of last season. Torneo won well on his comeback run at Ffos Las in October. He settled and stayed the 2m3.5f distance on soft ground well. That made it two wins in a row having won at Chepstow over two miles last April before his summer break.

Torneo has course form as he just failed to reel in Triple Trade over two miles on soft ground at this meeting a year ago. This is Torneo’s first run over two and a half miles proper. The good ground & sharp old course give him every chance of staying up the hill. He is rated at a career high of 134 however is in off a low weight of ten stone and seven pounds.

Cheltenham 2:20

1 point each way Quebecois 6/1 generally, 4 places.​

1 point each way Torneo 14/1 generally, 4 places.

Best of Luck, Nicky

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