With Exotic Dancer back on course to participate in the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Gold Cup betting will round up its analysis of the foremost contenders for the 2008 renewal with a profile of the only horse capable of upsetting Denman or Kauto Star in the biggest race of the century.

Exotic Dancer Record and Statistics
Eight year old Exotic Dancer is the offspring of American racehorse Turgeon and French thoroughbred Northine. Trained by top Irish trainer Jonjo O’Neill, Exotic Dancer’s rating places him between Kauto Star and Denman.

Exotic Dancer first came to prominence at the Aintree Hurdle during the 2005 Grand National meeting when he caused an upset at 50/1 odds. Following this win O’Neill decided to move this talented horse into steeplechase events, and by December Exotic Dancer had captured his first chase at Cheltenham.

Since 2005 Exotic Dancer has run in 14 chases. He has won 5 of these, finished second on another 4 occasions and taken third place on another 4, with only a fall at Sandown in a novices chase in 2005 to spoil this excellent record.

A key feature of Exotic Dancer’s career so far is that three of his second place finishes were in races where Kauto Star took first place. While this might indicate that Exotic Dancer may not have the beating of Kauto Star, it also illustrates that he might have been regarded as one of his generation’s greatest chasers if it were not for the presence of the French champion.