What price is Minella Indo for the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup?

In short, at the time of writing, Minella Indo is a top-priced 10/1 second favourite for the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup ante post, behind defending champion Al Boum Photo, who heads the market at 4/1. Trained by Henry De Bromhead in Co. Waterford, Minella Indo was the surprise 50/1 winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival and looked all over the winner of the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at the 2020 Festival, only to be overhauled by Champ in the closing stages.

Minella Indo returned to action with two easy wins, at odds-on, in small-field Graded contests at Wexford and Navan in October and November 2020. Consequently, he was sent off 5/2 favourite for a highly competitive renewal of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, but made a msitake and fell just before halfway. De Bromhead described his exit as ‘unfortunate’ and ‘very frustrating’, but Minella Indo reportedly suffered no ill effects and remains on course for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Savills Chase produced an unsatisfactory result insofar as second favourite Delta Work also unseated his rider shortly after halfway, but the fact that stable jockey Rachael Blackmore chose to ride Minella Indo rather than eventual winner A Plus Tard – now only 12/1 for the Gold Cup – is encouraging. Minella Indo has yet to win beyond an extended 3 miles, but an extra quarter-of-a-mile or so in the Gold Cup should hold no terrors for him, although it is worth noting that, so far, he has shown his best form with significant cut in the ground.