Know chance?

The Letherby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday (26th January) clearly wasn't as strong a renewal of this recognised Gold Cup trial as it has been in recent years. However, the winner, Knowhere, was surely due a bit more respect from the bookmakers in the immediate aftermath of his victory than to be given a quote of 100/1 for the big race.

The winner undoubtedly loves the Gloucestershire track as all of his best performances have come at Prestbury Park, and some of those efforts haven't been far below top class. For example, in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup in 2006, he was second to Exotic Dancer (in receipt of seven pounds) with Festival winners Taranis, Reveillez and Butler's Cabin all behind.

He then gave nearly two stone and a neck meeting to Maljimar in October 2007 (form that was franked by Maljimar's win on the same card on Saturday) and was third in this season's Paddy Power Gold Cup, giving the first two (including another Festival winner, L'Antartique) upwards of five pounds.

Knowhere proved he stays the Gold Cup trip with a fine effort in the Hennessy in December on ground that was too soft for him, and in winning on Saturday he beat Old Vic and Neptune Collognes in a remarkably similar fashion to the way in which Exotic Dancer beat them last season, before going on to finish second to Kauto Star in the Gold Cup.

Knowhere probably won't win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but at 100/1 he is surely a better each way bet than some of those in front of him in the market such as Our Vic and Mossbank, who are both half the price and far more likely to run in the Ryanair Chase.

And if you still don't think Nigel Twiston-Davies' horse has any sort of chance, cast you mind back to 1990 when a certain Desert Orchid was odds on favourite for that year's Gold Cup, only to be beaten into third by an unconsidered outsider, Norton's Coin.

Shocks often come out of Knowhere.