The BetVictor Gold Cup is the feature race on Saturday afternoon on a card that includes seven top quality races and is one of the most popular days at Cheltenham outside of The Festival.

The Gold Cup, still affectionately remembered as the Mackeson Gold Cup with some of the older N.H racing aficionados, is a Grade Three handicap chase run over two miles, four furlongs and 78 yards of the Old Course at National Hunt racing’s headquarters.

 

Trends & Statistics:

• Course form has been very important to the outcome of this race over the years. Fifteen of the last twenty winners of the race had lined up in a chase at the Cheltenham Festival the year before.
• Age – 8 of the last 10 winners were aged between 7 and 9.
• Price – 1 of the last 10 favourites have won, 5/10 winners were in the top 3 in the betting.
• Last Run – 4 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the BetVictor Gold Cup, 7/10 winners ran within the last 35 days.
• Rating – 9/10 winners were rated 139 or higher.
• Graded Wins – 6/10 winners had at least 1 previous win in a grade 1-3 race.

Here is your runner-by-runner guide, with horse racing betting tips on Saturday's big race:

Saint Calvados

The six-year-old made a pleasing start to the season when defying top weight in a two-mile handicap chase at this very venue last month.

He shoulders top-weight again here on his first attempt at 2m 4f, but has the class to carry it off.

Us And Them

Finished second in the Arkle and the Maghull Novices’ Chase last season, and made a fair return when third at Gowran Park last time.

Soft ground doesn’t appear to faze him but the Irish have a shocking record in this race.

Siruh Du Lac

He completed a spectacular four-timer last season in the Festival Plate, just getting the better of Janika who franked that form recently when winning the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.

His form looks very solid and he is a major player.

Spiritofthegames

The seven-year-old has won on reappearance in each of the last three seasons and also has form that ties in with Janika and Siruh Du Lac.

Often the bridesmaid at Cheltenham but will be hoping to remedy that on Saturday.

Magic Saint

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old was never a factor in the Grand Annual at The Festival after a promising start to last season, but a wind-op over the summer could quite easily revitalise the fortunes of this young chaser.

Slate House

He was a wide margin winner of a novice event at the Showcase meeting last time which gave him a new revised rating of 147.

He certainly has the potential to build upon that performance and can defy his 12lb rise.

Belami Des Pictons

Hails from a stable that traditionally has a decent run of form in November and the going should be ideal for him.

He is clearly a fragile type but Venetia Williams will only reintroduce them when she feels they are ready to acquit themselves on the track.

Count Meribel

The seven-year-old struggled to live with the best graded chasers last year but he did not disgrace himself when finishing second to Lostintranslation at Carlisle.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has a good record in this race which is also worth bearing in mind.

Mercian Prince

A winner at Plumpton and Kempton last term but this looks like being more than he can chew on his seasonal return.

Highway One O One

Ideally he likes to dominate a race from the front which won’t exactly be easy here but he is sure to give it a go.

Two placed efforts at this venue last season paint him in as an interesting outsider.

Happy Diva

She was brought down in this race last year when going well and ran a cracker of a race behind Guitar Pete at Wetherby in soft going last time.

If you fancy Guitar Pete to run well then you also have to consider this mare too.

Demi Sang

Finished in third spot behind Guitar Pete and Happy Diva at Wetherby when running on in the closing stages.

Ben Haslam’s River Frost ran a similar race at Wetherby that weekend, and then came out to win next time at Ayr.

There are certainly a lot worse 50/1 shots you can back this weekend.

Royal Village

Second in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen back in the summer and has been holding his form well over the last few months.

This may come as a bridge too far however.

Guitar Pete

The demure nine-year-old came third to Baron Alco and Frodon in this last year and arrives here on the back of a recent win at Wetherby.

The suspicion is however that his revised weight may well just anchor him here.

Eamon An Cnoic

He was well beaten a couple of times back in the spring but before that had finished on the coattails of Siruh Du Lac and Spiritofthegames.

He gets into this off a favourable weight and David Pipe was very bullish about his chances when asked earlier in the week.

Brelan D'As

Finished third in the Grand Annual last season and was travelling pretty well in the race won by Saint Calvados at The Showcase before he unseated.

It will be a surprise to see his odds of 20/1 lasting long.

Springtown Lake

Looked a little bit ring-rusty behind Vinndication at Ascot earlier this month and will need to take a massive leap forward from that to figure here.

Dell Oro

Comes from a talented stable put has either finished last or has pulled up in too many of his races to be an attractive betting proposition.

Warthog

Winner of a Limited Novices’ Chase at Sandown last December but has failed to back that run up since.

Splash Of Ginge

He won this race in 2017 on one of the wettest days in recent Cheltenham history. Write this veteran performer off at your peril given the battering Prestbury Park has taken this week.

Conclusion:

I’ve been keen on Siruh Du Lac’s chances for some time now and I shall stick with the Nick Williams-trained six-year-old continuing his upward curve despite the testing ground conditions at Cheltenham.

At larger odds I’m going to chance a small each-way bet on Ben Haslam’s Demi Sang. He’s quite some price for a J.P McManus runner!

888sport suggests: Siruh Du Lac and Demi Sang (e/w).

Another month, another international break. It has been a thrilling start to the new Premier League campaign, with Liverpool moving eight points clear at the top of the table prior to the international break.

However, focus now turns to the 2020 European Championship qualifiers. England’s place in next summer’s competition is more or less secure but Gareth Southgate won’t be taking anything for granted just yet.

With a feast of international football taking place on Thursday evening, we’ve looked at four of the night’s biggest matches. So get ready for what will hopefully be an exciting evening of international action.

 

England vs Montenegro

Much of the pre-match talk has surrounded the training ground bust-up between Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez but England will be focused on one thing and one thing only come Thursday night: three points and qualification for Euro 2020.

On paper, Montenegro are second best in every department and we could see England run riot at Wembley on Thursday night. Expect Gareth Southgate’s side to put on a show in England’s 1000^th international fixture.

The 6/5 available for England to score four or more goals should be snapped up. This has landed in each of the last two meetings between the sides and the Three Lions will take some stopping in their pursuit of glory. Fingers crossed for a convincing England display.

TIP: Over 3.5 England goals (6/5)

 

France vs Moldova

As early favourites to win Euro 2020 in our football betting odds, France have a reputation to uphold. Their shock defeat in the 2016 final still hurts but Les Bleus will want to try and make amends for that at next summer’s competition.

Moldova have scored just two goals in their eight group games and you’d be hard pressed to find many punters backing the upset here. In fact, the visitors have conceded 22 goals so far this qualifying campaign and another heavy defeat beckons.

France know that a Turkey win over Iceland sends them through but Didier Deschamps’ men will want to advance to the Euro 2020 finals as group winners. Expect a dominant showing in Paris – 12/25 for four or more French goals is worth a punt.

TIP: Over 3.5 France goals (12/25)

 

Portugal vs Lithuania

Portugal cannot afford to drop points in this clash – the hosts must win their final two group games to guarantee a place at Euro 2020. On paper, this looks relatively straightforward but international football can be unpredictable at the best of times.

Lithuania are rooted to the foot of Group B having picked up a solitary point through seven group fixtures. This is probably their toughest test yet and the visitors may adopt a damage limitation approach to try and keep the final score respectable.

All eyes will be on Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo as he looks to carry his side to the Euro 2020 finals. The Juventus forward bagged four goals in Portugal’s 5-1 win over Lithuania in September and EVS for a brace could turn out to be huge.

TIP: Cristiano Ronaldo to score two or more (EVS)

 

Serbia vs Luxembourg

Serbia must win to keep the pressure on Portugal. Their chances of qualifying for Euro 2020 are slim but three points here will at least take the fight for second spot in Group B to the final matchday of the qualifying campaign.

Luxembourg shouldn’t offer too much resistance in this encounter. The hostile atmosphere could play its part and punters should expect Serbia to win this quite comfortably. An early goal for Serbia should see the floodgates open and it could easily get out of hand.

Mitrovic has been outstanding for club and country this season, notching 17 goals since the start of August. With that in mind, punters should consider the 4/7 available for Mitrovic to score in a Serbia victory on Thursday night.

TIP: Aleksandar Mitrovic to score and Serbia to win (4/7)

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Darko Vojinovic / AP Photo*

The European Championships have been given a facelift for the 2020 edition of the tournament.

Matches will be played all over the continent for the first time. Previous competitions have sometimes been shared, and the decision to alter a tournament with such a long history was obviously a controversial.

That history has featured some of the greatest players in the sport’s history, and seen some players make their name on the continental stage.

This article is taking a look at the highest goalscorers in European Championship history, featuring a fair few tournament winners…

 

Michel Platini (9 goals in 5 games)

No player has impacted a European Championship quite like Michel Platini did in France’s 1984 triumph.

His nine goals in five matches weren’t a case of beating up on weaker opponents either – several determined the outcome of matches, and his perfect hat-trick against Belgium is one of the great individual performances in tournament history.

Platini belongs alongside Pele, Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona as one of the best footballers of the 1900s.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo (9 goals in 21 games)

Longevity, rather than supremacy, has put Cristiano Ronaldo atop this list. Having featured in four Euros, it’s a surprise to see Ronaldo as low as nine goals.

Some of that can be put down to the style of the Portugal sides he’s played in, some of it down to Portugal disappointing on the biggest stage.

Ronaldo will surpass Platini next summer as Portugal look to defend their European crown, putting him at the top of yet another goal scoring list. 888sport has all the latest odds on Euro 2020 – do you fancy Ronaldo to lead Portugal to the trophy again?

 

Alan Shearer (7 goals in 9 games)

Alan Shearer was no stranger to a Golden Boot, having won three in the Premier League. His five goals at Euro 96 added another to the collection, as England fell in a semi-final shootout against Germany.

The Premier League’s all-time top scorer cut his international career short, and resisted the public outcry from him to return for both the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship.

Antoine Griezmann (6 goals in 7 games)

Frenchman Antoine Griezmann has only played in one European Championship, but it was a special one on an individual level.

The Barcelona forward won the Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament and was named in UEFA Team of the Year a few months later.

Unfortunately for Griezmann, Euro 2016 ended in heartbreaking defeat to Portugal. World champions France are fancied to go back-to-back at Euro 2020 – Griezmann might be top of this list in a few months’ time.

 

Ruud van Nistelrooy (6 goals in 8 games)

Ruud van Nistelrooy was as lethal a finisher as there’s been in the 2000s. He averaged a goal every other game for the Netherlands and bettered that in Euros action, scoring six in eight appearances across the 2004 and 2008 tournaments.

Van Nistelrooy was named in the Team of the Tournament in 2004 after scoring four goals in the competition, including a brace against Latvia.

The former Manchester United man netted a key opener for the Netherlands as they beat Italy in 2008.

 

Patrick Kluivert (6 goals in 9 games)

Patrick Kluivert was the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer until he was passed by Robin van Persie in 2013.

A third place at Euro 2000 was the closest Kluivert got to international glory – he was selected in the Team of the Tournament that year and lifted the Golden Boot after scoring five of his six European Championship goals.

An elegant, obscenely talented footballer, Kluivert was a prominent member of that magnificent Ajax team in the 1990s.

The Netherlands have another generation of wonderful players coming through right now – see what 888sport make of their chances in the latest Euro 2020 qualifying tips.

 

Wayne Rooney (6 goals in 10 games)

Despite having a reputation as a player who disappointed at major tournaments, Wayne Rooney’s six goals in 10 European Championship matches is a pretty impressive record.

Of course, four of those came when he was a young sensation at Euro 2004 – he made the Team of the Tournament that year, but England suffered a gutting quarter-final defeat.

Different factors impacted Rooney’s success for the England team, whether his own fitness or squad turmoil. It’s hard not to look at those six goals in 10 matches and wonder what could have been.

Check out the latest football betting to find out England’s odds for Euro 2020.

Thierry Henry (6 goals in 11 games)

A European champion in 2000 and twice the recipient of the European Golden Boot, Thierry Henry was one of the finest footballers of his generation (like many on this list). The former Arsenal and Barcelona forward appeared 123 times for France.

Henry possessed not only immense pace, magical dribbling skills and a left foot capable of wizardry, he was deceptively strong, making him an almost impossible player to challenge.

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (6 goals in 13 games)

Ibrahimovic featured in four Euros but failed to score in the 2016 competition. The icon of Swedish football, Ibrahimovic made Sweden a fearsome team to face throughout his long career.

When he retired in 2016, he’d collected 116 caps for his country, scoring 62 goals in the process. Twice earning Goal of the Tournament honours, Ibrahimovic was no stranger to the spectacular at the Euros.

 

Nuno Gomes (6 goals in 14 games) 

Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes appeared in three European Championships, scoring in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 versions of the tournament.

A runners-up finish in 2004 was the closest Gomes got to glory after finishing third in 2000. Most well known for his time with Benfica, Gomes also played for Blackburn Rovers while accumulating 79 Portugal caps.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Thanassis Stavrakis / AP Photo*