Johns Spirit 'in his prime' for Paddy Power Gold Cup

The view from connections ahead of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Jonjo O'Neill is confident Johns Spirit is "in his prime" ahead of his bid for back-to-back victories in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Cyfor Malta became the last dual winner of the prestigious handicap in 2002, four years after his previous triumph, while Fortria and Gay Trip both did the double back in the 1960s.

Half Free and Bradbury Star are the only horses to have secured consecutive successes, with the former striking gold in 1984-85, while Bradbury Star emerged victorious in 1993-94.

Johns Spirit's victory 12 months ago came as no great surprise, having won at the track at the previous month's Showcase meeting, and he has followed the same route this time, making a winning reappearance in the same race.

He is joint-top weight this season, over a stone higher in the weights than a year ago, but his trainer is hoping his charge can continue to defy the handicapper.

O'Neill said: "It's a tricky task in the Paddy Power and I was surprised how well he won at Cheltenham last time.

"He's gone up a lot in the weights and it was either a weak race or he was very impressive. But he's a fair horse who is improving and in his prime.

"Later on, I do think he could be a Ryanair horse and that's what he is, but he's got to prove it on Saturday."

Richie McLernon has ridden Johns Spirit in 16 of his 23 career starts and has clearly built up a good relationship with the talented chaser.

McLernon said: "Johns Spirit is better for knowing. He is best left alone in the early part of a race - that's his style of racing - and I'm certainly not planning on making the running.

"We just get on well together. It's a two-way thing."

O'Neill has an interesting second string to his bow in Eastlake, and said: "He has only won over two miles but is in good form.

"He has had his problems, but everything seems good at the moment.

"He will like the ground."

Heading the weights with Johns Spirit is the Nicky Henderson-trained Oscar Whisky.

The dual Aintree Hurdle winner won twice at Cheltenham as a novice over fences last term, but owner Dai Walters is under no illusions about the task facing his representative with 11st 12lb.

Walters said: "He's in good form and after he worked well earlier in the week, we decided to let him take his chance.

"He's got a lot of weight to carry, which won't be easy.

"He's stepped up a lot in the last fortnight and he likes Cheltenham, so we'll hope for the best."

Having won over the course and distance at the Festival in the spring, Present View has been prominent in ante-post lists for a while, and made an encouraging return when touched off over hurdles at Cheltenham last month.

Trainer Jamie Snowden said: "We always thought he would carry a nice racing weight in the Paddy Power.

"It was a fantastic prep run at Cheltenham in a novice hurdle and arguably he should have won but for making a bad mistake at the last and getting beaten a head.

"I'm not scared of any one horse. He's handled the hurly-burly of Cheltenham and proved that he handles the track and the occasion.

"I wouldn't swap him for anything."

Buywise was fifth behind Present View at the Festival before signing off his season with an impressive success at Cheltenham's April meeting.

He won easily upon his return over hurdles at Ludlow, leaving trainer Evan Williams wondering whether the seven-year-old is at peak fitness.

"He came out of that hurdle run very well and I was just keen on getting a few pieces of fast work into him," the Vale of Glamorgan handler told At The Races.

"He loves Cheltenham. The Paddy Power is a race I always wanted to get Buywise to as the track and trip are made for him.

"We want to get through Saturday in one piece and see if he is good enough, and man enough, to compete at that level."

Champion Court has won three times at Cheltenham, but has something to prove after a disappointing end to last season and a similarly low-key reappearance behind Johns Spirit.

Trainer Martin Keighley said: "We may try different tactics with him and drop him in a bit, instead of doing all the donkey work out in front.

"The handicapper has been slowly dropping him."

Kapga De Cerisy is an interesting contender for Venetia Williams, making his first appearance since a runaway victory at Sandown last November.

Williams said: "Unfortunately he did himself an injury, which is why he's only coming back now. It's a big ask, first time out in a big race like that. We're not going expecting, we go hoping."

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls relies upon Caid Du Berlais, last seen finishing seventh in the Galway Plate.

Nicholls said: "He's run well at Cheltenham in the Fred Winter and in the boys' race (Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle) last year, so it's a track he likes.

"In the Galway Plate, he travelled extremely well that day and I think you need a three-miler to win that race and he didn't get home."

There are two Irish challengers in the field, with the Charles Byrnes-trained Shanpallas joined by Tom Gibney's outsider Orpheus Valley.

Shanpallas has enjoyed a fine autumn, finishing third in the Kerry National at Listowel before taking gold in Limerick's Munster National.

Byrnes said: "The better the ground, the better his chance, I'd say.

"We've been happy with him since Limerick, but this is another big step up for him. I wouldn't be worried about coming back in trip with him. He'll probably get a break after this."

Orpheus Valley won the Guinness Handicap Chase at the Punchestown Festival in April and was last seen finishing ninth in a handicap chase at Galway in August.

Gibney said: "I would have liked to have got a prep run into him but he has gone well fresh in the past."

Emma Lavelle reports Edgardo Sol all the better for his fine run on his seasonal debut, when second to Wishfull Thinking in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

"He's flying, and came out of his run at Aintree very well," said the Andover trainer.

"If he gets jumping I'm hopeful he'll run really well as he loves Cheltenham."

Cantlow was well beaten on his reappearance in the United House Challenge Cup at Ascot but trainer Paul Webber is expecting a better display on the back of that outing.

The Banbury handler said: "The Paddy Power Gold Cup is horribly competitive but it looks like the right race for him to have a go in.

"He is reasonably handicapped on some of his form - he is a 1lb lower than when second in the December Gold Cup.

"He would not want bucket loads of rain but we are hopeful."