The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the biggest race of the festival with a purse of over £600,000. It’s the race that all the trainers, jockeys and owners want to win. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 Steeplechase and is run over a distance of 3 miles 2 ½ furlongs. The race takes place on the new course at Prestbury Park and there are a total of 22 fences to be jumped. There are so many famous winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the most recent winners have included Lord Windermere, Coneygree, Don Cossack, Sizing John, Native River and Willie Mullen´s first ever winner Al Boum Photo.

The main race of The Festival and this year looks like it will be fiercely contested once again. Favourites are 4/12 and top 3 in the betting are 7/12, so it’s entirely conceivable that one of the larger priced horses could win this race. Al Boum Photo is the current joint favourite, can he be the first horse to retain the Gold Cup since Best Mate back in 2004?

 

Al Boum Photo

He was lightly raced last year when coming into this race and Mullens has opted for the same strategy this year. If it aint broke, don’t fix it, is most certainly the motto with this horse. He’s short enough in the betting and given that no horse has retained the Gold Cup since 2004, you can see how hard the feat would be this year. I also question how strong a race it was last year. Many of the major players fell apart and Al Boum Photo was in the right place at the right time to pick up the pieces. If I could get 9/2 on the day I’d have a go with him, but anything shorter is represents little value for me.

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Delta Work

Mark Walsh has been confirmed as the rider for Delta Work in this year’s Gold Cup and with 6-1 available (without NRNB) he would be my pick at the price. He’s won his last 3 starts over fences, with the most recent being probably his most impressive when laying it down to Kemboy and winning by 1 ½ lengths. I’d back him to reverse the form against Santini last year, who’s looked laboured this year winning his races

 

 

Lost In Translation

I think you should put a line through Lost In Translations last race. He was pulled up and was reported to have a breathing problem. He’ll be freshened up for this race and has Cheltenham form on his side. At 7-1 I don’t think he’s a bad price and I think he’ll run his race here. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win this as a bit of an outsider.

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  1. 17 of the last 19 winners, came 1st or 2nd in their last race
  2. 13 of the last 19 winners came 1st or 2nd at the Festival previously
  3. 14 of the last 17 winners came from the top 3 in the betting
  4. 11 of the previous 14 winners won their last race
  5. No horse aged 10 years or older has won this race since 1969
  6. Willie Mullins is 1 from 20 in this race
  7. 5 of the last 14 favourites have won this race
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