2024 Bet365 Gold Cup Ante-Post Tip – DS
2024 Bet365 Gold Cup Ante-Post Preview
First of all, let’s get Sunday’s runners out of the way. Mickey The Steel got no cover and I’m starting to think he’s being lined up for a big pot, something like the Rockingham or Bold Lad perhaps. Flylikeaneagle was never put into the race and Tall Story ran on well when the race was all but over. This weekend, the 2024 Bet365 Gold Cup is the big race of the weekend and Dave Stevos likes the look of one at double figure odds, get his ante-post tip below.
3.35 Sandown Saturday – 2024 Bet365 Gold Cup
As soon as Kinondo Kwetu crossed the line at Aintree two weeks ago I backed him e/w for the Scottish National. Unfortunately, he was taken out of the race, probably because of the forecast soft ground. Sam England has decided to go for this race instead (I hope) and this time, it looks as though conditions will be ideal for her 8yo son of Casamento at Sandown.
This strong traveller ran a blinder for us at Aintree last time to get the place money in fourth. To be honest, I thought he was going to hack up half a mile from home but he missed a stride jumping the second last and that cost him a lot of momentum. Given how weak he was in the market, he likely needed the run after a break and it should have left him spot on for this contest.
Right Handed
As regular readers will know, when it comes to chasing the track configuration is very important to me. Kinondo Kwetu has done most of his winning over fences going left handed. However, his first chase win came going right handed at Market Rasen and while he ran poorly on his only other run going that way round, it was in a Grade 2 on easy ground.
For me, the ground is far more important to this horse. He needs good in the description at the very least and the quicker it is, the better it suits him. All the weather forecasts are suggesting that there won’t be much rain at Sandown this week and since this day last week, they’ve only had 5.8mm. The ground is currently good and it looks like it’s going to stay that way.
Consistent & Progressive
Kinondo Kwetu has been ultra consistent over fences. He has had 11 chase starts, winning 6, and he has only finished out of the first three twice. His first win over fences came at Market Rasen back in July 2022 off a mark of 107. He finished that year rated 132 and after winning at Aintree off 137 last May, he earned a rating of 145.
His run back there two weeks ago proved he could be competitive off that mark, as did his fine third at Uttoxeter on his final run of last summer. He met some traffic problems and also made a couple of mistakes, including a bad one three out, so to be just 3l behind the winner at the finish illustrates just how big an engine this horse has.
Obviously, he’ll need to jump better to win this but he is capable of putting in a good round if he gets into a rhythm early on. I hope Jonathan England ensures he gets a good sight of every fence and if that means he has to race a bit wide, so be it. On that Uttoxeter effort, this 29f trip shouldn’t be beyond him and as long as the rain stays away, Kinondo Kwetu is capable of a massive run in the 2024 bet365 Gold Cup at odds of 20/1.
