VENETIA Williams and her Wye Valley yard are not shying away from the challenge of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with their two horses L'Homme Presse and Royale Pagaille among just five initial British entries for March's jumping showcase.

Some pundits were quick to write off the home challenge, as Irish champion Galopin de Champs heads the betting to make it three wins in a row.

But third on a first run in nine months in Kempton's Boxing Day King George VI chase, punters shouldn't forget that L'Homme Presse led last year's Gold Cup to the second last until being bumped and injured by second-placed finisher Gerri Colombe, finally finishing fourth.

And while Willie Mullins' Galopin de Champs is the horse to beat, Racing Post’s Tom Park says further out in the market: "The one who catches the eye is L'Homme Presse, who is available at 25-1...

"L'Homme Presse looked a huge danger to Galopin Des Champs as they approached the second-last in the 2024 Gold Cup, but his challenge faltered after he was struck into when jumping that fence.

"He is a ten-year-old, but is lightly raced for his age with just six runs in the last three campaigns.

"He was late to get going last season following a 391-day layoff, but all seems to have gone well this term.

"He has a huge engine and I'd be surprised if he is not much shorter than 25-1 on the day."

The winner of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in 2022, the gelding has long been one of Britain’s staying chase shining lights.

And his Kempton performance gives the King's Caple camp cause for optimism.

“He ran exceptionally well in the King George to finish third and there’s no reason why he wouldn’t do us proud again in a Gold Cup,” said joint owner Andy Edwards.

“We have enormous pride to be in the race; the horse doesn’t know if he’s French, Irish or British and it’s great for us.

“Everyone has to be realistic when going in against Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe, who have already proven it, but the young guns still have to prove they can stay three-and-a-quarter miles at that pace and up the hill.

"We’ve already done that, so I would be hopeful he could run his race and run well.

“We led the Gold Cup field over the second-last fence last year and there’s nothing in the race to fear and we wouldn’t fear it.

“We were injured at the back of the second-last when Gerri Colombe struck into us and the vet said we were lucky to still have him, as it was only a millimetre away from the sheath of the tendon.

“If we’re injury free, hopefully we might stay on a little better from the back of the second-last, where he did get that injury.”

But Edwards said it’s not just about the Gold Cup, with his next likely appearance the Betfair Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on January 25.

Coming off the back of two successive Betfair Chase wins at Haydock, stablemate Royale Pagaille is also a hope for the big one, having finished fifth and sixth twice from 2021-23.

Trainer Venetia posted photos of both, proudly saying: "Our two boys make up 40% of the British entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at today’s close of entries."