THE old Gold Cup it may not be, but the feature Gold Cup Handicap Chase (2.50) at Newbury is still a major prize to bag for connections and with the top two runners set to race off marks of 155, followed by 151 and 150, this looks a fair renewal if not an outstanding one.

Fanion D’Estruval carries that top weight for the in form Venetia Williams’s yard and he is a horse of some potential, but the problem is that even on this better ground, three-and-a-quarter miles is an unknown, and could stretch his stamina to the limit.

At the other end of the weights, Lord Accord has put in two solid jumping performances, winning snugly at Cheltenham before a cracking second to the legend that is Frodon in the Handicap Chase at Wincanton.

He gets a chance to race off the same mark here (136) and along with Oscar Elite (fifth in the West Yorkshire Hurdle) will have plenty of each-way supporters.

But I am going to go back to the top of the weights and fill my boots with an each-way play on FIDDLERONTHEROOF. Along with stable-mate Lostintranslation, Joe Tizzard has a couple of big hits at this major prize and the former is just preferred.

He has been taken out of several races in the past few weeks due to the ground being too testing, but with only showers forecast for this afternoon he should have everything in this favour.

A closing second to Cloudy Glen off a mark of 150, 12 months ago, the selection is set to run off 155 here, but comes here with a lovely warm-up under his belt with a one paced third of seven over hurdles at Kempton over 2m5f.

That should have brought him to a peak here, and the eight-year-old can go one better than last year and take his career chase record to three from 12.

The supporting card at the Berkshire track looks an absolute cracker from a punting point of view and one of the best bets could come in the super-competitive Sir Peter O’Sullevan Handicap Chase at 1.20.

I just feel top weight of 12 stone for the diminutive Kitty’s Light will be tough enough and in any case his best form is over so much further, and I much prefer his stable mate CAP DU NORD.

Winner of this contest in 2020 off a handicap mark of 120 when he breezed through the tail end of the field from the sixth last for a comfortable win, he has since been placed in the likes of the Listed National Hunt steeplechase, the Great Yorkshire Chase as well as a win in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton.

Third in the aforementioned Listed National Hunt steeplechase at Wincanton, with Ellis Collier taking a valuable 7lbs off his back, he is set to run off 123 here and would relish a hot pace up front.

The biggest danger could come from the much vaunted ZANZA (nap) who has done all of his winning over shorter distance, but his Newbury record reads 1161 and I have long thought that a step up in trip on good ground would be right up his street, so the Philip Hobbs-trained runner could well be worth a saver at a big price.

Elsewhere on the card, the Gerry Feilden Handicap Hurdle at 2.30 will see First Street try to defy a mark of 146 for Nicky Henderson, who has a cracking record in this race but he may be stretched to give 19lbs away to the recent Chepstow winner PIKAR.

The selection bounded home that day at the Welsh track and an opening mark of 127 could severely underestimate his talent. The drying ground is also not a problem and based on his novice hurdle runs behind Jonbon and Knappers Hill, I think he is thrown in here.

The only other race I will playing at on the card will be the two-mile handicap chase which concludes the meeting at 3.40. Amarillo Sky was a smooth winner of his seasonal debut at Cheltenham, but he needs plenty more here off a career high mark of 144.

The one I really fancy is the lightly raced seven-year-old COURTLAND. He has plenty to find on his first run of the season with Only Money, but he is a notoriously stuffy horse that nearly always needs his first start, and with a 10lbs turnaround in the weights, he looks the value call here at a double-figure price.

Deep ground at Bangor looks sure to make every contest, even over two miles, a relative test of stamina and I am sweet on the claims of NETYWELL in the opening extended two-mile handicap chase at 12.23.

The Lucinda Russell charge waltzed home on similarly deep ground to land his maiden hurdle at Wetherby last year.

A mistake at the third last ended hopes of a winning chasing debut at Kelso last month, but he was always on the back foot that day on good to soft ground, and with that experience under his belt and on a more suitable surface, he can make the most of the weight he is set to receive from the Henry Daly trained Petty Cash.

At Newcastle, CONSTITUTION HILL finally gets his day in the sun in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at 2.10 and should be able to give 7lbs away to last year’s winner and stable mate Epatante. But at a much better price, the best bet on the Gosforth Park card is probably AYE RIGHT in the Rehearsal Chase at 3.25.

Trainer Harriet Graham will have been happy to see second season chase L’Homme Presse stand his ground, as it means her star nine-year-old chaser will carry 11-07 rather than 12 stone, and can make the most of the 7lbs he is set to receive from the Cheltenham Festival winner.