Resplendent Grey Among 24 Runners In Coral Gold Cup

Olly Murphy remains on course in a bid to land his first victory in the Coral Gold Cup with Resplendent Grey, one of 24 – a full field – declared in this year’s renewal of the £250,000 showpiece on Saturday 29th November. The feature race of the National Hunt season at Newbury Racecourse is scheduled for 2:55pm on a seven-race card, with ground conditions currently reported as Good to Soft on the Chase Course.

Now 13/2 second favourite with sponsors Coral, Resplendent Grey signed off last season by winning the Grade 3 bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown. The seven-year-old has since got his season off to a promising start by beating Grade 1 winner Handstands in a Listed Chase at Carlisle earlier this month.

Murphy commented: “He’s a horse who’s progressed massively and hopefully hasn’t stopped progressing yet. He was always a horse who worked well and ultimately probably disappointed me a little bit over hurdles to start with, but he’s a horse who certainly has improved for jumping a fence.

“Ever since he won the bet365 at Sandown we’d ear marked this race, so he had a prep run in Carlisle which went really well. He’s obviously trained really well since then and so we’re all systems go for Newbury on Saturday.”

On where the future could lie for Resplendent Grey, Murphy added: “It’s obviously one of the most prestigious handicaps in Jump racing. They’re the races you want to be competitive in, and it would mean the world. Whether he could end up being a Grand National horse I don’t know, but I think Saturday will tell us an awful lot more. He’s rated in the 150s now, he’s not a million miles off running in those open Graded races either, so we’re really excited to have a horse like this on our hands.”

Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore’s Cheltenham Festival winner, Myretown, has gone into favourite at 9/2. The eight-year-old was last seen winning the Grade 3 Ultima Handicap Chase in March.

The trainer of the 2022 Coral Gold Cup winner, Dan Skelton, has declared Grade 3 Paddy Power Gold Cup heroine, Panic Attack, with connections opting to have a tilt at a notable big-race double. The nine-year-old faces a quick turnaround after landing the Cheltenham prize just two weeks ago, but the Skelton team remain in top form and Tristan Durrell is able to negate 3lb of her 4lb penalty.

Skelton has also confirmed Riskintheground, who will be ridden by Kielan Woods as stable jockey, Harry Skelton, heads up to Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth.

Other notable British contenders include Nicky Henderson’s Hyland and Venetia Williams’ Victtorino, who returns to Newbury after finishing third in last year’s race and subsequently beating The Changing Man to secure back-to-back wins in the Grade 3 Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot.

Last year’s winning combination of Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden are represented by Inch House, while Ben Pauling has one contender in Pic Roc. In the hope of following in his father’s footsteps, Joe Tizzard has declared The Changing Man, winner of the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase.

As expected, the Irish will pose a strong challenge, led by British and Irish Champion trainer, Willie Mullins, who sends over Listed chase winner Blizzard Of Oz, O’Moore Park, A Penny A Hundred and Spanish Harlem, winner of the Grade 3 Kerry National Handicap Chase.

Other high-profile runners from Ireland include Gordon Elliott’s recent Cheltenham winner, Three Card Brag and Thomas Gibney’s 2024 Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles. Topweight, Monty’s Star, who took home fourth in the 2025 Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Gorgeous Tom will line up for Henry de Bromhead

The field is completed by Grandeur d’Ame, Katate Dori, The Doyen Chief, Lowry’s Bar, Perceval Legallois, Moon d’Orange and Annual Invictus.

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