A great days racing is in prospect at Cheltenham on Saturday which sees the last big race before Christmas - the boylesports.com Gold Cup which has been reduced to a field of 13 with the news that both Copsale Lad and Billyvodan are non runners.

David Pipe, Paul Nicholls and Jonjo O'Neill account for nine of the field as they each launch three-pronged attacks on the valuable prize, won last year by the Irish trained Sir OJ.

Betterbet.com make the Nicholls' runner Taranis narrowly favourite at 9/2 to atone for his fall here last month in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The five-year-old, who was unbeaten over fences last season, was running a great race before coming a cropper at the second last. The race was won by Jonjo O'Neill's Exotic Dancer who reappears today.

The make-up of the race wants us to play at bigger odds - on a horse capable of running a big race at an each-way price and another Jonjo O'Neill runner BUTLER'S CABIN catches the eye at the bottom of the weights. He finished fourth in the Paddy Power which was a great effort given he was badly hampered by the fall of Taranis and makes great each-way appeal at the 25/1 offered by betterbet.com.