Royal Ascot 2023 tips: why this horse can win the Gold Cup on Thursday

The Gold Cup (4.20), the feature race of the week at Royal Ascot, takes centre stage on Thursday. The 2m4f Group 1 will be shown live on ITV and Sky Sports Racing, but who will clinch the big prize?

4.20 Royal Ascot, Thursday: Gold Cup racecard and betting

Coltrane

Forecast odds: 7-2

By Joe Eccles

This provides Coltrane with an excellent opportunity to break through at the highest level for the first time.

The Andrew Balding-trained six-year-old comes into this race off the back of a career-best success in the Sagaro Stakes that brought his Ascot form figures to 121, the defeat coming in last year's Long Distance Cup when narrowly losing out to Trueshan.

With that rival's powers seemingly on the wane, and the remainder of this field arriving with some sort of question to answer, he rates by far the most solid betting proposition and is difficult to oppose under what look his optimum conditions. The admirable Broome is unexposed over this distance and can chase the selection home.

Coltrane16:20 Ascot

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Jky: Oisin Murphy Tnr: Andrew Balding

Eldar Eldarov

Forecast odds: 4-1

By Jack Haynes

The betting suggests this is a wide-open Gold Cup, and while it may lack the star quality of previous years, I have little doubt over the horse to beat.

Eldar Eldarov ran a superb race on his reappearance when second in the Yorkshire Cup and the form has been franked by the fourth Quickthorn and fifth Siskany winning since.

That run, alongside his dominant St Leger win and narrow Queen's Vase victory at this meeting last year, suggests he has a good chance of staying this trip. It could bring about further improvement and he has strong claims.

Eldar Eldarov16:20 Ascot

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Jky: David Egan Tnr: Roger Varian

Eldar Eldarov

Forecast odds: 4-1

By David Griffiths

Eldar Eldarov won the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot last season before claiming Classic glory in the St Leger at Doncaster. A son of Dubawi who has shown highly progressive form, his seasonal reappearance second in the Yorkshire Cup caught the eye.

Held-up in a messy affair, he did well to finish second, hitting the line strongest of all and finishing with running left. It is hard to know whether the extra distance will suit, but strictly working on the visual impression suggests he'll improve for it.

His ceiling is yet to be reached and that makes him an intriguing contender in a race mostly dominated by talented but exposed stayers.

Eldar Eldarov16:20 Ascot

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Jky: David Egan Tnr: Roger Varian

Subjectivist

Forecast odds: 9-1

By Stuart Redding

Subjectivist is fancied to add a second Gold Cup to his CV. His career hasn't gone as connections would have hoped but he was hugely impressive when brushing aside Princess Zoe in the 2021 running of this contest.

A tendon injury has restricted him to just two subsequent runs but a third at Meydan in March suggests a huge chunk of that ability remains.

Subjectivist16:20 Ascot

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Jky: Joe Fanning Tnr: Charlie Johnston

Yibir

Forecast odds: 11-1

By James Hill

Coltrane is the one to beat, but he is beatable and I would suggest Yibir as an alternative.

It's got to be worth a try. He's a brother to a three-mile hurdle winner and the one time he tried further than a mile and a half he saw out the trip really well. Godolphin have had great success in the past when stepping their bluebloods up in trip here, and Yibir is a Group 1 winner who loves fast ground. He comes into this off the back of a decent prep at Newbury.

Yibir16:20 Ascot

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Jky: William Buick Tnr: Charlie Appleby

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