Minella Indo

Strange to be noting a horse who is as high-profile as Minella Indo, especially after such a disappointing run in the King George, but there was mitigation, and bookmakers’ reaction in pushing him out to 10/1 for the Gold Cup may have been an over-reaction. There was always a chance that he would under-perform at Kempton. He is so good at Cheltenham, up and down hills and left handed and galloping, there was always a chance that Kempton’s flat, right-handed, sharp track would not play to his strengths. As well as that, he wore cheekpieces for the first time and he raced up with a fast pace from flagfall. The case for dismissing the run is strong.

Of course, it is possible that he will not recover from his Kempton exertions in time for Henry de Bromhead to get him back to concert pitch for the Gold Cup, but it is more likely that there is sufficient time between the two races. He is the Gold Cup winner, he was imperious in winning the race last year. It is not easy to win back-to-back Gold Cups, but Al Boum Photo did it in 2019/20, and there is every chance still that Minella Indo will be able to emulate him. In three runs at the Cheltenham Festival, Henry de Bromhead’s horse has won an Albert Bartlett Hurdle, won a Gold Cup, and finished second in an RSA Chase, mugged close home by Champ after he had got the better of a protracted duel with Allaho. He loves it at Cheltenham and, as things stand, he has a better chance of winning this year’s Gold Cup than his current odds suggest.
Kempton, 26^th December 2021