Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Guide

Gold Cup Profile

(Friday 13th March - 3.20pm) - Gold Cup Race Entries

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the jewel in the crown of jump racing. Run over a distance of 3 miles 2 ½ furlongs, there are 22 fences to be jumped over the new course. First run in 1924, it has been won by many of the game's most famous names including Golden Miller, Arkle, Dawn Run, Desert Orchid and Best Mate.

The 2008 Gold Cup saw Denman steal his stablemate Kauto Star's crown, but judging by the champ's late reappearance at Kempton that race has left a real mark. Kauto bounced back to win a third King George and is now favourite to become the first horse to ever regain the Gold Cup.

RACE TRENDS:

  • 9 of the last 11 winners had been placed at the festival before
  • 9 horses priced 33/1 and bigger have been placed since 1997
  • 55 of 56 horses beaten in the race before since 1994 have been beaten again
  • 14 of the last 15 winners were aged between seven and nine

Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting
Kauto Star2
Denman6
Cooldine10
Notre Pere20
Mikael DHaguenet20
Click here for all oddsView all odds

Gold Cup Trials

DateCourseRaceNameVideo
26/10/2008AintreeOld Roan Limited Handicap ChaseKnowhere, Exotic Dancer, Snoopy Loopy
01/11/2008Down RoyalJnwine.com Champion ChaseKauto Star
15/11/2008CheltenhamPaddy Power Gold CupBarbers ShopView
22/11/2008HaydockBetfair ChaseSnoopy Loopy, Exotic Dancer, Kauto StarView
29/11/2008NewburyHennessy Gold CupMadison Du Berlais, Air Force One, Snoopy Loopy, My Will, Knowhere, Albertas RunView
05/12/2008SandownFuture Stars ChaseBarbers ShopView
12/12/2008CheltenhamBoylepoker.com ChaseStar De MohaisonView
26/12/2008KemptonKing George VI ChaseKauto Star, Albertas Run, Voy Por Ustedes, Air Force One, Snoopy LoopyView
27/12/2008ChepstowWelsh National Handicap ChaseHalcon Genelardais, Miko De Beauchene
28/12/2008LeopardstownLexus ChaseExotic Dancer, War Of Attrition, Neptune Collonges
24/01/2009CheltenhamLetheby and Christopher ChaseHalcon Genelardais, Star De Mohaison, Roll Along
07/02/2009KemptonLevy Board ChaseMadison Du Berlais, Denman, Albertas RunView
14/02/2009HaydockBlue Square Gold Cup Handicap ChaseMiko De BeaucheneView
15/02/2009LeopardstownHennessy Cognac Gold CupNeptune Collonges
RacingUK

Video Form



2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Click above to view Racing UK footage

Gold Cup Winners

RacingUK Catch up on all Racing UK races for Free online
YrWinnerAgeSPDistanceTimeGoingFormRatingTrainerJockeyVideo
2008Denman89/47L6.47.84Good/Soft1-111185Paul NichollsSam ThomasView
2007Kauto Star75/4F2 1/2L6:40:46Good/Soft1111175Paul NichollsRuby Walsh
2006War Of Attrition715/22 1/2L6:31.70Good1152173Mouse MorrisConor O'Dwyer
2005Kicking King74/1F5L6:42:90Good1211177Tom TaaffeBarry Geraghty
2004Best Mate98/11F1/2L6:42:90Good11-21174Henrietta KnightJim Culloty
2003Best Mate813/8F10L6:39:00Good21-11178Henrietta KnightJim Culloty
2002Best Mate77/11 3/4L6:50:10Good2-122176Henrietta KnightJim Culloty
2001No Race
2000Looks Like Trouble89/25L6.30.30Good/Firm31P1173Noel ChanceRichard Johnson
1999See More Business916/11L6.41.90Good/Soft41P3172Paul NichollsMick Fitzgerald
1998Cool Dawn1025/11 3/4L6.39.50Good111P172Robert AlnerAndrew Thornton
1997Mr Mulligan920/19L6.35.50Good12-4F174Noel ChanceTony McCoy
1996Imperial Call79/24L6.42.40Good1F11174Fergus SutherlandConor O'Dwyer
1995Master Oats9100/30F15L6.56.20Soft1-111176Kim BaileyNorman Williamson
1994The Fellow97/11 1/2L6.40.70Good3333170Francois DoumenAdam Kondrat
1993Jodami88/12L6.34.60Good/Firm2111172Peter BeaumontMark Dwyer
1992Cool Ground1025/1Short Head6.47.60Good2171167Toby BaldingAdrian Maguire
1991Garrison Savannah816/1Short Head6.50.00Good121-1169Jenny PitmanMark Pitman
1990Norton's Coin9100/13/4L6.30.90Good/Firm6923169Sirrel GriffithsGraham McCourt

Connections Comments

Air Force One

"He tore ligaments in his back at the second fence (in the King George), after which he was never travelling. When we took the saddle off he had a large haematoma that took a week to clear up. It has taken a while to get him right and he's only just going back into light work, but Leopardstown (8 February) gives us plenty of time. I'm sure the course will suit him better than Kempton. He ran a cracker in the Hennessy at Newbury which is also a flat, left-handed galloping course. He did nothing wrong against Roll Along at Ascot and did everything right but still got beat (by Madison Du Berlais) in the Hennessy. Now we have a new year ahead of us and I hope he'll show his best form in the Gold Cup."
Charlie Mann
12th January 2009

Albertas Run

"He's in great form. He has come out of the race at Kempton great. We are are looking forward to a little bit of good ground for him now to carry on and hopefully he'll go to Cheltenham. He'll probably be entered for the Letheby & Christopher Chase at the end of the month at Cheltenham. He'll probably be entered in the AON at Newbury too and might even go straight to Cheltenham. If the ground isn't right. Ideally though we would like to get a run into him. He's entitled to have a crack at the Gold Cup. His run in the King George has kind of finished him off in handicaps now I think, and he stays well, he likes the track, he's won around there, so all we want is a bit of good ground really. If we can get him in the same form as last year he'd have a great chance."
Jonjo O'Neill
9th January 2009

Barbers Shop

"A lot of people seem to think he's a Gold Cup horse, but we'll have to wait and see. The one thing he doesn't have to prove is an ability to act around Cheltenham, because of his runs in the Jewson at last season's Festival, and also this time around in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. We want to get through this bad weather first before trying to make plans, but if we want to stick to three miles, which is the idea, he'd really have to go for either the Aon Chase at Newbury or the Letheby & Christopher at Cheltenham. Running in one or the other of those will tell us a lot more,"
Nicky Henderson
8th January 2009

"He is tucked up in his box but is in great form. I thought about running at Cheltenham (in the Cotswold Chase) but didn't want to bottom him in the mud, and I nearly ran him at Newbury but I am glad that I didn't. We will play it by ear, but he is on a similar schedule to Binocular (Champion Hurdle favourite) and I am happy to do it this way and go straight there. He is a horse who you could get to the bottom of quite easily and we are getting close enough to Cheltenham now too. As long as things go to plan, he will go straight to Cheltenham and I imagine he will run in the Gold Cup."
Nicky Henderson
9th February 2009

Denman

"He did everything right (in a workout). It's part of his training and quite hard work. I wanted to see if we could get him tired, which we didn't. He was absolutely perfect, I was pleased with him and Ruby was pleased with him. We couldn't have been happier. Now we are all set for Newbury (AON Chase). That will be the acid test. We are happy with him at home, but he has got to perform on the track. He is getting close to a run, (but) I wouldn't lose an enormous amount of sleep if I didn't run him before Cheltenham. He won the Hennessy first time out."
Paul Nicholls
15th January 2009

"I think he will be a better horse (this year). He's a nine-year-old now and fully mature. I know he wasn't fully mature last year, and if he has matured now I think you'll find a better Denman rather than a worse one. I can assure you in the last couple of months he's working supremely well. I've seem him jump and go and he's in great form. He goes up the hill three times, I've seen him in the indoor school and he looks great. When I go to see him in the yard he's macho, his ears are back and he can't wait to go racing again. I would love to get the first race out the way. After what happened earlier in the year I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about the race."
Paul Barber
21st January 2009

"We are all disappointed he got beat but we didn't go into this race knowing how he was going to run. He's run okay, he's run a solid race and he will improve for the run, although not enormously. I considered the writing was on the wall from a long way because he never wins from behind. He's got to improve between now and Cheltenham. It's quite possible that last year was a once-in-a-lifetimeperformance when he was at his very best and he'll never produce that again. The Gold Cup got to the bottom of him and he took a lot of time to get over it. I couldn't have run him anywhere after it and if you watch the replay he got very tired, and then we had the heart problem when he came back in."
Paul Nicholls
7th February 2009

Exotic Dancer

"We entered him for the Ryanair Chase today. Obviously he'll be entered in the Gold Cup as well, and we'll see nearer the time which he goes for – it'll be up to Sir Robert, and Barry (Simpson, Ogden's racing manager). He does have a lot of pace, travels really well, and jumps better when they go a good gallop. They didn't really go mad in front, at Haydock the time before, though in fairness I couldn't work out that run at all. It was a funny kind of race. In the end, it almost looked as though he had been outstayed. He has come out of the (Lexus) good, and seems fine at the minute. Where he goes next remains to be seen, but it will be between the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, the Aon Chase at Newbury, and the Hennessy Gold Cup back at Leopardstown."
Jonjo O'Neill
7th January 2009

"He's not going to run in Ireland at the weekend and will go straight to the Gold Cup. If he went to Leopardstown and had a hard race it could mean he'd have to miss the Gold Cup so he won't go. The plan is to go straight to the Gold Cup, win that and then go and win the National!"
Jonjo O'Neill
11th February 2009

Halcon Genelardais

"It was a bit frustrating as he never seemed to travel and whether he was still feeling the effects of Cheltenham the time before I'm not sure. Maybe he isn't quite as effective round Cheltenham, but he'll have a week out in the paddock now and we'll take a view. He's still in the Gold Cup and if it was very heavy, he might run. Otherwise he will probably go for the Midlands and Scottish Nationals."
Alan King
27th January 2009

Kauto Star

"Kauto must have every chance (of reversing form with Denman). With Denman coming off the back of an injury scare he's got it all to prove, where as Kauto's won a King George and a Grade One in Ireland. Kauto's obviously a better horse fresh so we'll take him to Cheltenham without another run."
Paul Nicholls
9th January 2009

"My head lad, who doesn't say anything, said he couldn't believe what he was reading (about Kauto Star). You begin to doubt yourself. This horse has done it all - Gold Cups, Tingle Creeks, Betfair Chases and King Georges - and I think horses like this should get more respect, not be slagged off all the time. He's great for racing, he pays people's wages, and we should respect what he's done. I made an error of judgment running him at Haydock (in the Betfair Chase). He wasn't at his best, and it wasn't Sam's finest hour, but no-one knows what his orders were, or how I told him to ride the horse. Everyone tends to forget that. I know that he needs to be fresh and well. He won't run again before the Gold Cup, and he'll probably have only one start before next year's King George. I feel he's as good as he's ever been. He's shown here how good he is."
Paul Nicholls
26th December 2008

Madison Du Berlais

"He's been a great horse for the stable and for the owners over the years - he's still improving. The sheepskin side-pieces have helped him as much as Tom, because he always hit a flat spot in his races. He gets further these days and is clearly in great form - it was an unbelievable performance. I'm sure we haven't seen the best Denman, but you can't take anything away from our fellow. I'm sure we were fitter than Denman and we are also probably better on a flatter track. The Gold Cup's another day - maybe this was our Gold Cup - but he definitely deserves his chance (at Cheltenham)."
David Pipe
8th February 2009

Miko De Beauchene

"It was nice to have a little bit of luck with him. He was staying on at the finish and he should improve again. We've yet to speak to the owners, but I was speaking to Sally (Alner, trainer) and she's very keen to go for the Gold Cup and give it a crack. He's at the right age and the Gold Cup is very much up in the air at the moment. He's going to be a 100-1 chance, but if ground conditions come up really soft you need a horse that's going to get up the hill."
Andrew Thronton
15th February 2009

Neptune Collonges

“We’ve done a lot of work with him since last time as he got very lazy. It’s come together well and he will improve for the run so we’re very happy with him. I’m really looking forward to the Gold Cup now. It took the horse a week to regain his confidence after his fall here the last day. He took a good old blow today, he has been giving the young horses a lead over the baby hurdles to get his confidence back. That’s the best he’s jumped for a while and we put a sheepskin noseband on him to help him concentrate. If we got this ground in Cheltenham it would be ideal. We will probably go to Punchestown after Cheltenham.”
Paul Nicholls
15th February 2009

Star De Mohaison

"He has come out of his last race well. Paul (Nicholls) is very, very pleased with the progress that he has made. He will follow a similar sort of pattern to Exotic Dancer. He will have entries at Cheltenham, Leopardstown and at Newbury. Again it depends on the weather but the favourite for him would be to go to the Letheby And Christopher Chase at Cheltenham. The horse runs well there, he has got great jumping ability, and so with the emphasis on jumping around Cheltenham, that seems to be the obvious place to go. I think he has a big future. Obviously a lot will depend on his next run. He has to make that step up the ladder really from being a novice for which he was rated 155. Realistically he has to improve at least 20lbs to be a threat to even a horse like Exotic Dancer. He is young with a lot of ability. He jumps extremely well and stays well though,"
Barry Simpson
8th January 2009

War Of Attrition

"I thought he ran adequately in the Lexus. We wont change our plans, there's nowhere else to go. We'll go straight to the Gold Cup, hopefully if he's sound on the day. That's what we did the year he won it so we won't change it."
Mouse Morris
2nd January 2009