Cheltenham Festival: Analysing the Gold Cup ante-post market

The countdown to the 2023 renewal of the Cheltenham Festival is on, with just a matter of weeks to go until the four-day meeting gets underway with Champions Day on March 14. The Gold Cup is the main event of the Festival, however, and every owner, trainer and jockey wants to win the showpiece race on the final day.

This year’s edition of the three-mile, two-and-a-half-furlong affair appears to be a foregone conclusion already, with the ante-post favourite in the horse race betting one of the shortest prices we have seen this millennium — with only the legendary duo of Best Mate and Kauto Star eclipsing his current odds of 13/8.

Anything can happen on the day though, so let’s not write the Gold Cup off entirely just yet. That said, read on as we take a look at the current shape of the market — analysing the form of the favourite and the horses hoping to turn him over at Prestbury Park.

Galopin Des Champs – 13/8

To be as short as 13/8 for a race as prestigious as the Gold Cup, you have to be a very special horse — and the bookmakers clearly think Galopin Des Champs fits the bill.

The Willie Mullins-trained horse has won five of his six outings over fences, with his sole defeat coming in last year’s Turners Novices’ Chase — when he was on course for a massive victory over Bob Olinger before falling upon landing at the last.

The seven-year-old has put that behind him, returning to form to end last season with a win in the Gold Cup Novice Chase at Fairyhouse before landing the Punchestown Chase and the Irish Gold Cup already this season.

While this is a slight step up in trip, Galopin Des Champs has won his five chases by an average of over 11 lengths and is undoubtedly the one to beat at the Festival.

A Plus Tard – 11/2

Galopin’s age could be a concern, with just one seven-year-old winner in the last 10 renewals of the Gold Cup, but so to could be his main rival’s A Plus Tard’s — with nine-year-olds also represented with just one victor in the form of Don Cossack in 2016.

Age isn’t the only worry when it comes to the defending champion, however, as the Henry de Bromhead-trained horse has been seen just once all season — disappointingly pulling up in the Grade 1 Lancashire Chase at Haydock back in November.

A joint injury ruled him out of the Savills Chase over Christmas and the trainer has opted to keep him fresh for the Gold Cup since, but both De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore have insisted they are still confident in his ability despite the red flags against A Plus Tard’s name.

Stattler – 13/2

Another exciting novice chaser out of Closutton, Stattler won his three outings over fences last season — including the Festival’s Grade 2 National Hunt Challenge Cup, a race which takes place over a gruelling three miles and six furlongs.

However, he hasn’t been able to keep up with the big boys this season — being beaten over the line in the New Year’s Day Chase by a neck by 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo in a trip that was perhaps too short before finishing eight lengths behind Galopin Des Champs as he was outpaced in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The Mullins-trained eight-year-old is a proven stayer, and while he might lack the pace of his stablemate, the end of the Gold Cup can be a bit of a slug up the Cheltenham hill. So, don’t rule him out.

Bravemansgame – 7/1

Britain’s leading contender to steal back the Gold Cup from the grasps of the Irish for the first time in five years, Bravemansgame is another tempting choice at a general 7/1 in the Cheltenham online bets for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden.

The eight-year-old had a fantastic start to his chasing career last season, winning four successive outings over fences — most notably the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton. But he was withdrawn from a much-anticipated clash with L’homme Presse in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham due to the ground and could fare no better than fourth of four runners in the Mildmay at Aintree.

He has returned to form this season, however, winning the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October before landing the prestigious King George VI Chase by 14 lengths at Kempton on Boxing Day.

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Grand National winner Noble Yeats is also hoping to become just the third horse to win both the Aintree showpiece and the Gold Cup, but his recent outing at Cheltenham resulted in a disappointing third-place finish in the Cotswolds Chase.