Gordon Elliott’s star chaser Gerri Colombe has shortened to as low as 4/1 to win the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup after a thrilling Ladbrokes Champion Chase triumph at Down Royal.
Sent off a strong 4/7 favourite in the hands of stable jockey Jack Kennedy, the son of Saddler Maker made all the running to pip Henry De Bromhead’s Envoi Allen on the line by a neck in an impressive staying finish.
The seven-year-old raced in close proximity to Conflated at the front of the pack throughout and battled hard to recover lost ground despite landing in third at the final-fence when it looked like Envoi Allen’s to lose.
Gerri Colombe hasn’t went off as anything other than the market favourite in each of his ten career starts under rules, with his only defeat coming in the Brown Advisory earlier this year at the Cheltenham Festival when he was beaten by a short head to The Real Whacker.
This was his first effort outside of novice company, made even more impressive considering his rivals included a Gold Cup hero in Minella Indo, Ryanair Chase winner in Envoi Allen and Irish Gold Cup victor Conflated.
According to the best horse racing betting sites, Gerri Colombe is now available at a price of as short as 4/1 to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and looks a serious threat to Galopin Des Champs‘ hopes of landing a successive crown in the race.
🌟A THRILLER! 🌟
Gerri Colombe pulls the Grade 1 @Ladbrokes Champion Chase out of the fire with a stirring late charge.
It’s a remarkable effort on his first try outside of novice company, against high-class, race-fit rivals.@gelliott_racing | @jackkennedy15 | @Downroyal pic.twitter.com/yHI7uDkzS6
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 11, 2023
Kennedy told Racing TV: “For things to go so wrong for him and still win showed that he’s a really good horse and he will come on plenty for it.
“We went a good honest gallop, but Conflated was jumping slightly left the whole way and Sam Ewing was very quick to bring him back in, and I never really had the opportunity to switch inside him. Thankfully at the second-last I was able to switch.
“I think the trip at Cheltenham will be a massive help to him. You would just be hopeful that we get slow ground and that will put him there with a chance.”
Fans of the Robcour-owned star will be hoping to see plenty of rain on the weather forecast on Friday the 15th of March next year, as he aims to land jumps racing’s biggest prize and hand Elliott his first Gold Cup since Don Cossack in 2016.
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