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Gold Cup

15:30 Cheltenham Festival

2024-03-15

Winner: £352,729.16

Runners: 11

Going: Soft

No. of hurdles: 22

Distance: 3m2f70y

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The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious contest in jump racing and has been won by some of the greatest horses in the history of the sport. The Grade 1 chase provides the highlight of the four-day Cheltenham Festival and, with prize-money of £625,000, is the most valuable jumps race in Britain and Ireland after the Grand National. The Gold Cup represents the ultimate challenge for the very best staying chasers, with 22 fences to be jumped during the relentless three miles and two and a half furlongs, and a punishing finish up the famous Cheltenham hill. Among the greats to have won the race are Golden Miller, Mill House, Arkle, Best Mate and Kauto Star. Check the Cheltenham Gold Cup runners and riders ahead of the big race and place your bets by clicking the odds buttons.

NO.DRAW
FORM
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HORSE
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10(0)
2/29-1
silk
Monkfish

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J: Mr P W Mullins
T: W P Mullins
10
11-10
164
174
Unbeaten in two runs at the Festival in the Albert Bartlett in 2020 and Brown Advisory the following year; has raced just three times, over hurdles, since back from two-year absence and was returning from another layoff when winning at Gowran in January; something very special will be needed if he's to overcome the interruptions and the passing of the years to play a part.
NR(0)
F1-401
silk
Hewick

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T: John Joseph Hanlon
9
11-10
169
177
Others have achieved more on conventional form but he is a hard horse to keep tabs on, having won the Galway Plate (2m6f, good; acts on good to soft) in the summer of 2022, a top prize over brush obstacles in the US that October, and then gave an almost laughable performance in the King George on Boxing Day, where he toiled for much of the way over that sharp 3m but came winging home to take the lead from Bravemansgame close home; still in contention, although held, when falling two out in this race last year (soft was slower than ideal) but he is a stout stayer who could be dangerous if the ground suits.
1(0)
23-222
silk
Bravemansgame

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J: Harry Cobden
T: Paul Nicholls
9
11-10
170
179
Had an easy task in the King George (3m, soft; acts on good) last winter once L'Homme Presse had unseated at the final fence but he couldn't raise the same gallop as Galopin Des Champs when runner-up in this race next time; has had excuses since, bordering on being unlucky in the King George on Boxing Day when badly hampered two out and unable to resist the winner's late dash; very willing but unlikely to be good enough to win.
8(0)
1/1/41
silk
Jungle Boogie

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J: Rachael Blackmore
T: Henry De Bromhead
10
11-10
152
158
Has had just five runs since 2020 debut; won a bumper, maiden hurdle and beginners chase for Willie Mullins on first three starts; lost his unbeaten record over an inadequate 2m on first run for this yard and, although he has potential, a narrow Grade 3 win (2m7f, heavy) in January doesn't promote his claims for this task.
9(0)
/1U-12
silk
L'Homme Presse

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J: Charlie Deutsch
T: Venetia Williams
9
11-10
168
179
Winner of seven of nine completed chases, including the Brown Advisory (3m, soft) here in 2022; made favourite for last winter's King George but he jumped badly left and Bravemansgame had set sail for home when this one unseated at the final fence; absent for 13 months after; reappeared with a 2m6f win and easily excused an Ascot defeat since but he has to prove he can see the new trip out against top-class stayers in the best race he's run in.
3(0)
521-12
silk
Fastorslow

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J: J J Slevin
T: Martin Brassil
8
11-10
170
179
Has proved a natural jumper of fences and he put up a mammoth display when narrowly failing to give 4lb to Corach Rambler in the Ultima last March; gave Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame a nasty shock in a 3m Punchestown Grade 1 (yielding) next time and had the former nearly 2l away in third when winning there in November; had to play second fiddle to a reinvigorated Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown next time but has had wind surgery since and this reliable stayer has a sporting chance of revenge over the longest trip he's tackled.
2(0)
411-53
silk
Corach Rambler

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J: Derek Fox
T: Lucinda Russell
10
11-10
159
164
Has an unconventional streak but his spring form in the last two seasons cannot be faulted, having won the Ultima in 2022 and 2023 (3m1f; good to soft and soft) and the Grand National (4m2f) in some style last April, despite taking up the running further from home than usual; the limit of his ability has yet to be established and it would be no surprise to see him loom up late on.
5(0)
/31-21
silk
Gentlemansgame

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J: Darragh O'Keeffe
T: M F Morris
8
11-10
160
169
Smart staying hurdler who has made up into a better chaser, even if he caught Bravemansgame (who conceded 6lb) at less than full strength when beating that one at Wetherby (3m, soft) in November; a good deal more is needed on this promotion to the top table but the latest run suggests further improvement need not come as a surprise.
6(0)
121-12
silk
Gerri Colombe

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J: Jack Kennedy
T: Gordon Elliott
8
11-10
167
172
Won three of four Grade 1 chases as a novice and only just failed to overhaul The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory here (3m, soft) last March; again looked all about stamina when making heavy weather of his winning reappearance at Down Royal and he couldn't hold a candle to Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown (also 3m, soft) after Christmas; however, this stiffest test he's tackled so far can suit and may help to narrow the large gap between them.
4(0)
12-311
silk
Galopin Des Champs

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J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
8
11-10
179
188
His jumping can switch between swift and stutter but he came into his own on this steep finish when beating Bravemansgame in fine style in this race last year; has been beaten only twice when completing over fences, each time by Fastorslow, but he had excuses as the first was his final run of the season and the second came on his reappearance; had the measure of that one at Leopardstown last month and although the win wasn't emphatic enough to think that this is a done deal, he should still be hard to beat.
11(0)
07-411
silk
Nassalam

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J: Niall Houlihan
T: Gary Moore
7
11-10
161
166
The step up to about 3m1f last spring wasn't a success in the Ultima or at Aintree but he has been a different horse in refitted blinkers this winter, winning the Trial at Chepstow before following up in tremendous style in the Welsh National (3m6f, again on heavy) in December; deep ground would make things interesting but he would have more to prove otherwise.
12(0)
11-P42
silk
The Real Whacker

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J: Sam Twiston-Davies
T: Patrick Neville
8
11-10
162
167
Front-runs; 3-3 over fences here last term, just holding Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory (3m, soft); ran as well as could have been expected when fourth of five finishers in the King George on Boxing Day but he has been beaten in a Grade 2 here since and is unlikely to be in this shake-up, regardless of whether first-time headgear helps.

RACING POST TIP

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silk
Galopin Des Champs
This Gold Cup is as good as it gets. 12 months ago the stamina of GALOPIN DES CHAMPS was questioned but, once over the last fence, down went his head and away he raced from Bravemansgame. His path hasn't always been smooth since but he was brilliant when beating Gerri Colombe after Christmas and he took his revenge for two defeats by Fastorslow when beating that one at Leopardstown last month. The latter has had wind surgery since and he looks a good bet to go very well today but spring horse Corach Rambler still qualifies as being unexposed over staying trips and his defeat of Fastorslow here last March puts him into the picture, too. Hewick, whose King George win bordered on the vaudeville, shouldn't be underrated if the ground is no worse than good to soft but the opposite is true for much improved Welsh National winner Nassalam, while L'Homme Presse has to show his stamina is equal to the task at such a high level. Bravemansgame should run his usual honest race without being a strong enough stayer to fancy for the win, but Gentlemansgame still has some potential in staying races.

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PREVIOUS GOLD CUP WINNERS

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Year Horse Previous Form Age Price Trainer Jockey
2023 Galopin De Champ 1-11 7 7-5F Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2022 A Plus Tard 112-12 8 3-1F Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore
2021 Minella Indo 2-11F4 8 9-1 Henry De Bromhead Jack Kennedy
2020 Al Boum Photo RO-112-1 8 11-10 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2019 Al Boum Photo 2F1RO-1 7 12-1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2018 Native River 1-1113 8 5-1 Colin Tizzard Richard Johnson
2017 Sizing John 33-211 7 7-1 Jessica Harrington Robbie Power
2016 Don Cossack 1-11F1 9 9-4F Gordon Elliott Bryan Cooper
2015 Coneygree 13-111 8 7-1 Mark Bradstock Nico de Boinville
2014 Lord Windermere 31-876 8 20-1 Jim Culloty Davy Russell

 

CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP KEY TRENDS AND STATS

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Key trends

  • Aged between seven and nine, 10/10
  • Grade 1 chase winner, 9/10
  • No more than 13 starts over fences, 9/10
  • Adjusted RPR of at least 172, 9/10
  • Won over at least 3m, 9/10
  • Ran no more than four times that season, 9/10
  • Within 9lb of RPR top-rated, 8/10
  • Won a Graded chase that season, 8/10
  • Won or placed previously at the festival, 8/10

Other factors

  • In 2015, Coneygree became the first winner not to have run at a previous festival since Imperial Call in 1996. He was also the first novice to win since Captain Christy in 1974.
  • Four of the last ten winners had run in the King George or Savills Chase (formerly Lexus) that season. 

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WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP 2023

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GALOPIN DES CHAMPS went off pretty short for such a cracking edition of the race, but he delivered on his abundant promise with a superb performance. Further back than ideal but coolly ridden, some of his jumping was slightly scruffy, but he never looked like falling and he was full of running when taking it up at the last. Any stamina doubts were quickly put to bed as he stayed on up the hill to provide Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with their third Gold Cup in five years. Bravemansgame was the contender with the strongest form this season and was trying this far for the first time, he only gave best after the last. He was beaten by a true star and would have won a normal Gold Cup. Conflated ran a cracker to finish third, also trying a trip this far for the first time and only gave way going to the last.