Pauling has Meetmebythesea in tip-top shape for Paddy Power Gold Cup

Ben Pauling had to settle for a creditable third place behind Dan Skelton in the Racing Welfare ‘Racing Come Dancing’ last Sunday after his John Travolta-Pulp Fiction routine was eclipsed by the champion trainer’s cha cha cha.

But Pauling feels six days on it could be him in line for the 10s from the judges, with his six-year-old Meetmebythesea poised to waltz home in the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday.

The Naunton trainer believes all boxes have been ticked for the progressive JP McManus-owned contender ahead of his date on the Prestbury Park dancefloor, with just fingers needing to be crossed for a clear round as he bids to justify a position at the head of the market.

The gelding’s suitability for the track, distance and ground was proven in emphatic style in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase when Pauling’s six-year-old beat the ill-fated subsequent Grade One winner Gold Dancer by four-and-three-quarter lengths.

“Meetmebythesea couldn’t be better ahead of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and he has been trained for the race,” said the trainer.

“He goes to Cheltenham ready and he’s in very, very good order. The ground should be absolutely fine for him, and hopefully we will get a clean run round.”

McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry added: “He was very good at the Cheltenham Festival and ever since it has always been the plan to come here.

This weekend’s feature is over the sharper “old” course instead of the more stamina-demanding “new” track at the Festival last March and lack of a recent run is one possible chink in his armour given that 35 of the last 52 winners had had a pipe-opener.

Yet 12 months ago, the clearly well-treated Panic Attack defied the lack of an outing to romp away with the prize for Skelton who has declared Madara subject to suitable ground, and Harry Skelton’s selected partner Blueking d’Oroux.

The seven-year-old is one of the Johnny De La Hay-owned horses removed from Paul Nicholls and sent this summer to Skelton which adds spice to a race in which the former champion provides Quebecois.

Blueking d’Oroux has not been seen since finishing second to Koktail Divin in a Grade One novice chase at the Aintree Festival in April and is another who may be expected to improve for the run.

Martin Pipe is the most successful trainer in this race with eight wins but of those still training the spoils are shared between Nicholls and Nigel Twiston-Davies, now on a joint-licence with son Willy, with both having trained four winners.

The Twiston-Davies joint ticket saddles Matata who bids to become only the eighth winner, and first since Al Ferof in 2012, to shoulder top-weight.

“I’m quite looking forward to Matata,” said Willy Twiston-Davies.

“He’s been training for this race specifically, he had a lovely little away day last week where it went very well.

“He looks like he’s maturing with age and he put in a very big performance there on New Year’s Day so let’s hope he can produce something similar and be in the money.

“You can never really write the horse off. He’s got those days where he is capable, he’s done it at Windsor before and he did it on New Year’s Day where he can put in those massive performances. So let’s hope it’s on Saturday.”

There has been no Irish-trained winner since the late Edward O’Grady hit the bullseye with Tranquil Sea in 2009, but Henry de Bromhead (July Flower and Zurich) and Paul Nolan (Release The Beast) will bid to rectify that.

Martin Keighley feels O’Moore Park, a winner at the last meeting here in October, could make a bold bid to follow up.

“The horse has been in really top form since Cheltenham last time,” said Keighley, who trains a stone’s throw from the course.

“He should come on from that last run, the ground will be perfect and obviously loves it here. He gets in off a nice weight with Freddie (Keighley) taking 5lb off so he goes there with a real live chance hopefully.”

No trainer has their string in better form than Jamie Snowden, who has been striking at over 40 per cent in the last fortnight and there is quiet confidence that Torneo, a winner at Ffos Las on seasonal debut, could follow up the stable’s win with Ga Law in 2022.

“Torneo is in great order and we are very happy with him. He was second at this meeting last year over two miles and really we were always keen to step him up in trip at some point,” said Snowden.

“We were thinking then that something like the Paddy Power might be a realistic target this season.

“He came out and won at Ffos Las which was great and we have been all guns blazing for this ever since.”

Last March’s Ultima Chase winner Johnnywho, who went on to finish fourth in the Randox Grand National in April, makes his return for Jonjo and AJ O’Neill in a race which may well be a stepping stone to bigger targets over longer trips this season.

Harry Derham’s Punchestown runner-up Norn Iron, also making his seasonal reappearance, Skelton’s Riskintheground, the Twiston-Davies’s  Guard Your Dreams and Jennie Candlish’s Dunkerque make up the field.