 Was Santini unlucky though. He lacks a gear which showed in the race. The winner missed a few in the race aswell. Santini would have been helped with more pace in the race. The winner though as we saw in his first Gold Cup where there was more pace during the race has won easily and more impressively. Clearly ABP will have to have the constitution to go through the wall yet again which we don't know. A chance both ABP and Santini will succumb to a novice from last season. Not sure to which commentator I should attribute this, probably one of the ATR boys. "A steady pace would not have helped Santini who stayed on dourly to finish a narrow second behind Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup and he would have won in a few more strides. Having just his sixth start over fences - and his tenth under rules - Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old got a shade outpaced before the second last and had to switch twice in the straight which arguably cost him the race. The first-time cheekpieces was a wise move by connections and he found plenty under pressure, but he just lacked the speed needed at a crucial stage." I won't comment since he's a favourite of mine and I'd forgive him anything. Always dangerous to really like a horse!! 