Cheltenham Gold Cup betting tips
As the curtain begins to fall on the Cheltenham Festival, there is one race which every punter waits in anticipation, and that is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The biggest race on day four of the festival and the pinnacle race in the national hunt racing calendar is called the blue riband event of racing, which means all of the top horses who choose to run over this specific distance will likely feature.
As the Gold Cup approaches, the racecard will be shortened to feature only the main runners taking part, and it will also include the top Gold Cup betting odds. It’s from this selection of runners that we’ll select your top betting tips for the race, including who could pass the post first and who could finish in the each-way positions.
Update: Gold Cup Results
Horses finish:
1st Position: Galopin des Champs 2nd Position: Bravemansgame 3rd Position: Conflated
Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Odds
Although the race itself is fast approaching, we don’t have the confirmed odds for all the main runners, but we do have ante post betting markets on offer, which include the top horses in the markets and the top betting options, including each way and winner.
If you’re looking for the top market movers in the ante-post betting, it’s currently Irish runner Galopin Des Champs, followed by Noble Yeats and last year’s winner A Plus Tard. Other notable runners include Minella Indo, Shishkin and Envoi Allen. However, the starting price of each horse will probably change before the Gold Cup gets underway.
Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the Cheltenham Festival is called Gold Cup day by many of the punters who’ll attend the race meeting and watch it live on TV. Although Gold Cup day fixtures feature many top-class contests, including the Triumph Hurdle and the Mares’ Chase, the highlight is, of course, the main event itself.
Taking place at 3:30pm, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race which is run over a distance of approximately three miles and two furlongs. Contested on the new course at Prestbury Park, it features 22 obstacles which will be jumped in two laps of the course. This means horses will go past the stands once in the race.
Open to horses which are five years and older, the race under the name we know today was first run in 1924. However, the first race, called the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was actually run in 1819 as a flat three-mile contest on Cleeve Hill which is close to the current location of the course.
The race was switched to the new course at Cheltenham in 1959, and following that move, the aptly named golden era of the Gold Cup commenced with wins by Arkle, Dawn Run, Desert Orchid and the famous Kauto Star, all landing a win in the race.
When it comes to Irish success in the race, there are many horses which stand out in recent history, including Al Boum Photo, Don Cossack and Lord Windermere, who landed the race as a 20/1 shot. The most recent winner from Ireland came in the form of A Plus Tard, who made history as he was partnered to victory by Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey ever to win the race.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Race Prize
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the most stellar races in the national hunt calendar. There is huge potential prize money on offer for those who take part in the race. The total purse on offer for the race is approximately £468,750, and this will be split between the winner £263,766, with the rest being awarded to horses who finish in the place positions.
Gold Cup Winners
There are many horses who have won The Gold Cup within their career, including the most successful horse Golden Miller, who is the first horse to win the race on five occasions between 1932 and 1936.
This big race is on the radar of many trainers and jockeys, and below, we've highlighted the most recent winners:
- 2022 - A Plus Tard / Rachael Blackmore / Henry De Bromhead
- 2021 - Minella Indo / Jack Kennedy / Henry De Bromhead
- 2020 - Al Boum Photo / Paul Townend / Willie Mullins
- 2019 - Al Boum Photo / Paul Townend / Willie Mullins
- 2018 - Native River / Richard Johnson / Colin Tizzard
As you can see above, horses who make the final declarations of the race can't take to the course alone, and some of the most successful jockeys to partner a winner to victory include Pat Taaffe and Ruby Walsh. The domination of Irish jockeys has continued in recent renewals, as we can see in the key stats listed above, and these names are only added to by Davy Russell, Bryan Cooper, Robbie Power.
However, British jockeys such as Sam Thomas, Sam Waley-Cohen and Nico De Boinville have also enjoyed victories in the race for Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, although Ireland have pretty much dominated the race since 2016.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Qualifications
There are many races which offer qualification and key trends, including results for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The main race in Ireland, which happens at the start of February and takes place at Leopardstown, is the Irish Gold Cup. These are also partnered with the Savills Chase and The King George VI Chase.
Irish Gold Cup
Held annually in February, the Irish Gold Cup is the key qualification race for Irish runners who are looking to head to the Gold Cup. Contested over three miles and has a similar number of fences, which makes it the perfect prep run. The 2023 race was won by Galopin Des Champs, who is one of the favourites for the Gold Cup this year, and the runner-up in this race was the Stattler, who is also expected to feature.
Savills Chase
The telling race for the Gold Cup earlier in the season is the Savills Chase. Run at Leopardstown during the Christmas Festival. It takes in 17 fences over a three-mile distance. The race has been won in the past by Bobs Worth, Denman and Don Poli. However, this year it was Conflated who is currently a 10/1 chance for the Gold Cup.
King George VI Chase
The final feeder race for the Gold Cup is the King George VI Chase, and this is where many UK runners will have a decent showing before Cheltenham. The winner of the race this year was Bravemans Game, who saw off Royale Pagaille. Many other Gold Cup runners have won this race, including Kauto Star, Cue Card and Might Bite, so it's definitely one to watch.
Check out our other Cheltenham betting tips & guides too: