Jake Price's Ante Post Tips Featuring Coral Gold Cup

TIP 1: ALL IN YOU - 1pt Win

Best odds of 4/1 at Betfair Sportsbook, Sky Bet and Paddy Power while publishing.

Dan Skelton could have an unbelievable weekend at Aintree looking at the early entries, but one I am keen to take on at a very short price is Lyssenko. This French recruit went unbeaten in three starts across the Channel, but all of them came on ‘Heavy’ or ‘Very Soft’ ground. It will be an entirely different proposition on his first start in the UK, where he will race against seasoned pros on pretty much ‘Good’ ground, and therefore I think his price of 11/8f is far too short.

Instead I want to be chancing Warren Greatrex’s ALL IN YOU, who turns up here fit from the Flat and won’t have any worries about what the ground does between now and Friday. Last season he was very progressive for the yard, finishing a head second to Dance And Glance (127) at Ascot before reversing that form in quite emphatic style at Sandown in January off a mark of 122.

He was well fancied in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury next time when sent off a 7/1 shot, but the ground went against him and Tutti Quanti made it a very tough test. After a break of 70 days, though, he returned to action at Ayr in April for the Grade 2 Scottish Champion, where he had to race 5lbs out of the weights off a mark of 131. Despite that hindrance, he was in the process of running a big race when still cruising at the second last – but Tutti Quanti unfortunately came down in front of him, and all momentum was lost.

James Bowen actually did well to remain in the saddle, and therefore you can definitely mark up his fourth-place finish, as he did really well to get going again to only be beaten 6.5 lengths. Since that unfortunate day he has raced three times on the Flat, including at Royal Ascot, but more significantly he has had runs in September and October, so he will be fully fit for this Aintree assignment. Running back off his mark of 127 means he will effectively be 4lbs lower than when running at Ayr, and Sean Bowen has been booked for the ride with James out injured.

TIP 2: BOOMBAWN - 1.5pts Win

Best odds of 9/2 at bet365 and Unibet while publishing.

With the Old Roan Chase over course and distance cancelled a couple of weeks ago due to the storm, a couple of the horses rated within the 0-145 band are back for redemption on Saturday – and surely that does not apply more to anything other than Dan Skelton’s BOOMBAWN, who will undoubtedly get his preferred ground this weekend with no rain forecast this week.

Dan Skelton had this 9yo fully prepared for Aintree a few weeks ago, as he had a spin over hurdles at Chepstow in early October, where he finished a very credible sixth under Jack Andrews despite being sent off a 50/1 shot. Clearly that was just a run for fitness, but the slightly longer 28-day break between races could be even more ideal.

This 9yo was well fancied for the Grade 2 Old Roan before it was cancelled, but the main doubt was whether he would get his preferred quicker ground owing to the amount of rain that we had on that stormy weekend. As I have already mentioned, that won’t be an issue this week and may even help to scare off some of his rivals, but ultimately his biggest positive is that this race is far weaker than the Old Roan would have been.

This time last year BOOMBAWN was well fancied for the same race, but the ground went against him slightly when he weakened late on to finish fourth (only beaten 4.25 lengths) off a lofty mark of 153. You felt that was his “day” last year, but since then he has run well in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton when marginally behind Edwardstone (158) and Master Chewy (152). I think it is fair to say that the project after that run was to get his mark back down to a feasible level, and they have done a fantastic job of getting it back down to 143.

This horse hasn’t won since landing the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton in November 2024, but he has been very highly tried since, and his form at the 2025 Aintree Festival when finishing fourth in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase was both a blessing and a curse in terms of his rating. Now that he is down to his lowest mark since February 2025 and contesting his weakest race since then too, however, he is surely going to be absolutely primed to get that deserved next win.

Kdeux Saint Fray and Masaccio have both been declared for races on Thursday.

TIP 3: WENDIGO - 1pt E/W (4 Places)

Best odds of 6/1 at bet365, William Hill, Betfair Sportsbook, Sky Bet, Paddy Power and others while publishing.

The weights were released today for the Coral Gold Cup, and the biggest surprise of all was that WENDIGO was left alone on his mark of 147 despite winning the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase on Saturday, where he gave 10lbs and a beating to Potters Charm (153). It was only a prep race, so my concern is not realistically the substance of the form, but rather that I thought he would be put up by the Handicapper to a mark which ruined his chances for Newbury.

As that has not happened, however, he has to have top claims for the Jamie Snowden team, as his very honest preparation run could not have gone more smoothly. Doyen Quest disputed the lead with him throughout and put his jumping under pressure, but WENDIGO answered every call from Conor O’Farrell to put in a fantastic display. If we go back to last season, then we also know he handles Newbury well, as he won the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase on Hennessy weekend in good style.

He undoubtedly stays further too, having won over 3m at Ayr before being handed lofty tasks in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory at Cheltenham and the Grade 1 Mildmay at Aintree, but a return to the form which saw him finish third behind Kitzbuhel (155) in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton last Christmas would have to give him a huge chance here in a first-time handicap off a mark of 147. Jamie Snowden is no stranger to winning the race either, having landed it in 2023 with Datsalrightgino off a mark of 148.