RICHARD GUEST has been gifted one of the spare rides of a lifetime when he replaces the injured Jim Culloty aboard Lord Noelie (2.20) in this afternoon's £100,000 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury.

Culloty, one of the most popular jockeys in the weighing room, broke his arm in a very nasty tumble at Taunton on Thursday and must now sit out one of the most valuable races of the season.

However, there is no more able substitute than Guest, who has already proved once before that dreams really can come true by winning this year's dramatic Aintree Grand National on Red Marauder.

Guest's patient style of riding is tailor-made for Lord Noelie, a very lightly-raced yet high-class eight-year-old, trained by Henrietta Knight, set to shoulder a back-breaking 12 stone.

The reason for such a savage assessment stems from Lord Noelie's victory in the Royal & Sunalliance Chase at last year's Cheltenham Festival.

But when you consider the previous two winners of that championship contest, Looks Like Trouble and Florida Pearl, went on to finish first and second respectively in the Gold Cup, it's not surprising the Official Handicapper has allotted the selection such a massive weight.

The reason I am so strong on Lord Noelie arises from being on hand to see his comeback outing in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, where he was still in with every chance prior to bungling the third last fence.

For my money he would have quite possibly beaten the eventual winner Sackville, despite looking as if the run would have done his fitness the power of good.

And at around 20-1 Lord Noellie represents terrific value as compared with the favourite, Wincanton Badger Beer Chase scorer Montifault, surely a false price at odds of 5-2.

Others to consider are Tony McCoy's partner, Take Control, subject of substantial market support yesterday, plus Whitbread Gold Cup winner Ad Hoc, now ridden by Norman Williamson following the failure of Mick FitzGerald to get his current suspension overturned at Portman Square this week