CONFIRMATION this week that previous winners Coneygree and Don Cossack will miss the 2017 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup has forced Thistlecrack into odds-on with virtually every betting company to win the big race on St Patrick’s Day. Only one

The King George VI Chase winner heads 39 entries for the Gold Cup and is one of five entered for the race by his trainer Colin Tizzard. Stable companions Native River and Cue Card are also prominent in the Gold Cup betting, while there are good reports of the Tizzard-trained Alary, a Grade 1 chaser formerly trained in France and now owned by Alan Potts.

Thistlecrack, a 4/5 shot with several leading firms, is out to become the second novice chaser in three years to win, after Coneygree in 2015. Native River is already the winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh Grand National this season.

Gigginstown House Stud is well represented with eight entries, include Outlander and Don Poli, who led home a one-two for the Gordon Elliott stable in the Lexus Chase.

MULLINS YET TO WIN GOLD

The Gold Cup is one of the few races to have eluded Willie Mullins and he has entered Djakadam, runner-up for the past two years, and Vroum Vroum Mag, successful in last season’s Mares’ Hurdle and victorious on all her six starts over fences.

Other Irish entries are recent winner Champagne West for Henry de Bromhead and Zabana (Andy Lynch) who defeated Outlander by two lengths to win the Grade 1 Growise Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown in April. Zabana was touched off in the 2015 Coral Cup and unseated Davy Russell at the start of last year’s JLT Novices’ Chase.

Paul Nicholls has two entries, Silviniaco Conti and Saphir Du Rheu.

HENDERSON ENTRY

Nicky Henderson has made an entry for J.P. McManus’ Kotkikova. The six-year-old mare is a Grade 1 winner in France but was only fifth behind Vroum Vroum Mag in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Jonjo O’Neill has a trio of entries including More Of That, Taquin Du Seuil and Minella Rocco, who landed the four-mile National Hunt Chase from Native River at Cheltenham last year.

CURRENT BETTING: 4/5 Thistlecrack, 11/2 Native River, 12/1 Djakadam, Cue Card, 14/1 Outlander, 25/ 1 Alary, 33/1 Don Poli, Zabana, Vroum Vroum Mag, Minella Rocco, Kotkikova, Smad Place, Empire of Dirt 40/1 Many Clouds, 50/1 Blaklion, Saphir Du Rheu, Road To Riches, Fine Rightly, Wounded Warrior 66/1 More Of That, Irish Cavalier, Champagne West, Lord Windermere