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Explore our complete preview of the Cheltenham Festival’s biggest race, the Gold Cup, including all the latest tips, favourites and horses to watch.
The Cheltenham Festival draws ever nearer and the highlight of the week is the Gold Cup. Not only the most valuable race of the week, it’s also the most prestigious and the one that every trainer wants to get their hands on.
Here, we preview the big race, taking a look at the chances of those prominent in the Cheltenham betting, and we’ll also offer up an each-way player to consider.
Read on for our Gold Cup best bets, and for more information about the biggest week in racing, check out our Cheltenham Festival guide.
Cheltenham Gold Cup favourites
Here are the latest odds at the top of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting market:
Galopin Des Champs 400/1000
Banbridge 5000/1000
Fact To File 5000/1000
Monty’s Star 10000/1000
Corbetts Cross 12/1
Grangeclare West 16/1
L’homme Presse 16000/1000
Jungle Boogie 33/1
Cheltenham Gold Cup tips
Galopin Des Champs 400/1000
There’s only one place to start, and that’s with the defending champion, Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins’ superstar will be bidding to join the likes of Arkle and Best Mate on three victories and earn a permanent place in the history books.
The competition has fallen by the wayside this season and it’s very difficult to find a horse to seriously take him on with. Stablemate Fact To File looked like a real contender when winning the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham last year, but Galopin has his measure and the Ryanair seems more likely for him.
Beginning the campaign in the John Durkan at Punchestown as always, Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower got the better of him that day, but he needed the run and the extended 2m3f trip would be sharp enough for him these days.
Consecutive victories in the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup (both at Leopardstown) followed and he has firmly established himself as the king of the division. His hardiness and constitution are outrageous, and he keeps coming back for more again and again.
The Gold Cup usually takes plenty out of horses, hence why there are comparatively few multiple winners, but it’s just another race for him and he performs with the same raw power and dominance every season.
The other contenders
King George winner Banbridge is next in the betting and the biggest question mark over Joseph O’Brien’s gelding is stamina. His victory last time out was his first attempt at three miles since running in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree.
Galopin Des Champs is an absolute monster and Banbridge will need to have plenty of power if he can lay a glove on the favourite.
Fact To File will probably run in the Ryanair and wouldn’t be without a chance, but significant improvement will be required based on the evidence of his most recent performance.
Corbetts Cross represents Emmet Mullins and Patrick Mullins nominated this horse as the one he fears the most. Stamina won’t be an issue, but the jury’s out on whether or not he has enough class to stay in the race long enough to use that to his advantage.
L’Homme Presse was bitterly disappointing at Ascot recently but won the Cotswold Chase here before that. He’s probably the best of the British, but he looked like a non-stayer when failing to get up the hill last year.
Best each-way bet: Monty’s Star 10000/1000
Monty’s Star is available at a double-figure price and has a similar profile to Minella Indo, who won the Gold Cup for these connections back in 2021. Second to Fact To File in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last year, he’s sure to be suited by the emphasis on stamina.
You would have hoped for a little better behind Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup last time out, but this test should be much more to his liking and realistically, they’re all playing for places behind the big favourite.
How to bet on the Gold Cup
At Betway, we make it easy for you to bet on the Gold Cup. You can either place a race win bet on your chosen horse or take advantage of our each-way odds – which includes a win bet and a place bet (in this case, if your horse finishes in the top 3).
Simply sign in or register an account to bet on your selection today. Explore the latest Gold Cup odds or find all the latest Cheltenham bets.