2024 Gold Cup: the runners, the odds, the verdict
The Gold Cup (4.25 Royal Ascot, Thursday) takes centre stage on day three of the meeting. This prestigious 2m4f contest for stayers aged four and older is one of the biggest prizes in British Flat racing and will be watched by millions worldwide. The race will be shown live on ITV and Sky Sports Racing, but who will come out on top? Here's our big-race assessment in our comprehensive runner-by-runner guide to the Gold Cup.
The verdict for the 2024 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and 1-2-3 prediction
By Richard Austen, Spotlight editor
1. Trawlerman
2. Kyprios
3. Coltrane
Kyprios could start odds-on but the form which would justify that position comes from 2022 and the best of it was on soft ground at Longchamp, not from his half-length win in this race, exceedingly game though it was. The less demanding company this season has not given him the opportunity for a big rating but he ran here on Champions Day last October and was beaten by TRAWLERMAN. The margin was only a neck, after Kyprios looked set for a clearcut win, but Trawlerman's rally offers the possibility of better still over this longer distance and his previous four turf wins in 2022 and 2023 were all on good to firm, including an Ebor. While Kyprios has to be second on the list, last year's runner-up Coltrane should again figure in the heat of the battle and Gregory is the one who could be open to major improvement. The 2023 Royal Ascot handicap winner Vauban is also highly respected and a few of the others are not far behind the principals on ratings.
2024 Gold Cup: forecast betting odds for Thursday's big race at Royal Ascot
- Kyprios – 6-5f
- Gregory – 5-1
- Vauban - 6-1
- Trawlerman - 7-1
- Caius Chorister - 12-1
- Coltrane - 12-1
- Sweet William - 14-1
- Trueshan - 33-1
- Prydwen - 50-1
- Enemy - 100-1
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2024 Gold Cup runners and odds: full list of declared horses for Royal Ascot
1 Coltrane
Trainer: Andrew Balding
Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Draw: 10
Forecast odds: 12-1
Spotlight comment: Stalwart of the staying scene whose good record at Ascot (sole blemish last October) includes a second in this race last year; easily best of last four starts came when cheekpieces were enlisted here on latest outing, holding on by a head from Caius Chorister; the headgear is retained and he's on the premises if the ground is no worse than good to soft.
2 Enemy
Trainer: Ian Williams
Jockey: Richard Kingscote
Draw: 1
Forecast odds: 100-1
Spotlight comment: Has a good record at this track, latest visit when close third in Group 3 (2m, good to firm) in April 2022; has gone through peaks and troughs since, with a sustained creditable spell this winter before tailing off at Chester (1m5f) last month; unraced beyond 2m and still seeks first Group-race win.
3 Kyprios
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Draw: 8
Forecast odds: 6-5f
Spotlight comment: The outstanding stayer of 2022 when unbeaten in six starts, including this race (good to firm) and most notably when he took the Prix du Cadran (very soft) by an incredible 20 lengths despite some errant behaviour late on; missed most of 2023 but ran Trawlerman to a neck over 1m7f here in October and won twice at lower levels over 1m6f this spring without needing to be near his best; the proven class act but he's by no means clear of the pack on 2023 or 2024 evidence.
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4 Prydwen
Trainer: George Scott
Jockey: Callum Shepherd
Draw: 6
Forecast odds: 66-1
Spotlight comment: Not proven on worse than good to soft; surged to new heights over 2m on Polytrack/Tapeta on last three outings, winning the Marathon on AW Championships day at Newcastle on second occasion and following up in clearcut style in a quite valuable handicap at Southwell; moves back to turf, looking well worth a first crack at Group-race honours but he needs further improvement and this is the premier prize in the division.
5 Sweet William
Trainer: John and Thady Gosden
Jockey: Robert Havlin
Draw: 9
Forecast odds: 14-1
Spotlight comment: Probably acts on any going; sported headgear from the outset (also ridden by Rab Havlin all starts); gave Trueshan plenty to think about in the Doncaster Cup (2m2f, soft) last term in his first Group race; finished on the heels of Coltrane and Caius Chorister here on reappearance and narrowly turned the tables on the latter rival when produced late with the first-time visor at Sandown in another Group 3 four weeks ago; has a solid record but needs to find a bit extra.
6 Trawlerman
Trainer: John and Thady Gosden
Jockey: William Buick
Draw: 3
Forecast odds: 7-1
Spotlight comment: Can make the running; unraced beyond 2m but the way he rallied for a narrow win here (1m7f, good to soft) last October gives plenty of hope regarding the distance and his victim that day was Kyprios; that followed two runaway odds-on wins at much lower levels on good to firm; made a satisfactory reappearance when third in the Dubai Gold Cup in March; firmly in the mix.
7 Trueshan
Trainer: Alan King
Jockey: Hollie Doyle
Draw: 4
Forecast odds: 33-1
Spotlight comment: Still tricky to settle; added to his haul of big-race wins with a 2m2f Doncaster Cup and 2m4f Prix du Cadran (made all) last September; disappointing next time, followed by wind surgery, which seemed to turn him round after second outing last term but he was not at the top of his game on either start this season; usually kept to ground softer than good and he missed this race in 2021, 2022 and 2023 when the ground was good to firm.
8 Vauban
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Jockey: Colin Keane
Draw: 5
Forecast odds: 6-1
Spotlight comment: Very smart 2m hurdler who was back to the Flat with a bang last summer, hacking up from the front in a 1m6f handicap at Royal Ascot (good) and tidy winner of a 1m4f Group 3 at Naas (soft); favourite for the Melbourne Cup in November but faded into mid-division; his second in the Yorkshire Cup on return was also some way below his best form but he could have come on since that run; stamina to prove but last year's win here needs a deal of respect.
9 Gregory
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Jockey: James Doyle
Draw: 2
Forecast odds: 5-1
Spotlight comment: Took the 1m6f Queen's Vase from the front at this meeting for his third win last year; put in his place in the Great Voltigeur on good to firm at York, the St Leger at Doncaster and the Yorkshire Cup at York, but ran creditably in them all and the latter was a promising return to action seeing as it now looks as if he will be extremely well suited by longer trips; this is a much longer one but it's not hard to think that this lightly raced four-year-old may be about to come into his own.
10 Caius Chorister
Trainer: David Menuisier
Jockey: Benoit de la Sayette
Draw: 7
Forecast odds: 12-1
Spotlight comment: Probably acts on any going; ended last term with a 1m6f Group 3 win from the front at Saint-Cloud and showed better form again when upped to 2m and beaten a head this season in Group 3s at Ascot and Sandown; there's been little between her, Coltrane and Sweet William at level weights this term but she now receives 3lb; has stuck to her guns well over 2m and now steps up in trip again.
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Confirmed runners and riders for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday
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