The £625,000 Cheltenham Gold Cup (G1) is one of the most lucrative and important races of the jumps season. The feature race of the Cheltenham Festival, it takes place on Friday, March 17 and covers a distance of three miles, two and a half furlongs. And, with a field of thirteen top-class jumpers, it should be one of the most lucrative horse race betting opportunities of the season~
The top two horses across the wire in the last two editions of the Cheltenham Gold Cup both return this year: Minella Indo got the decision over A Plus Tard in 2021, while A Plus Tard turned the tables on Minella Indo in 2022. Noble Yeats, best known for winning the 2022 Grand National, has had a strong season this year as well and he tries the Gold Cup this year.
Will one of these horses have another crowning day, or will someone new earn one of jumps racing’s biggest prices? Keep reading to find out, and to see the best places to bet the race online!
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This is the official field for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup including betting numbers, trainers, and jockeys:
Make sure to track the odds on your preferred Cheltenham Gold Cup horses from now until the time of the race. When you see an overlay at your favorite online sportsbook, go ahead and place that bet! That way, you can be confident that the price at the time you made your bet is the price you will earn when your horse wins!
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Galopin des Champs | +165 | +165 | +165 |
| Bravemansgame | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| A Plus Tard | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Noble Yeats | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Stattler | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Conflated | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Sounds Russian | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Ahoy Senor | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
With your online betting account created and the list of horses and odds at your fingertips, it is time for the fun part: let’s get to know the horses in the field.
The likely favorite in the Gold Cup is Galopin des Champs, who comes in with sharp form for top jumps trainer Willie Mullins. He has won seven of his last eight races, and though he fell at the last at Cheltenham last year, he is a better horse now than he was and he was going well enough before that to trust he can hold his form. He is also seven pounds below top weight.
The best bet in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Bravemansgame. He has won six of his last seven, and comes in eight pounds under top weight. He had wind surgery after his one recent loss, and has come back strong in two starts since. He looked like a top-quality horse in his victory in the King George VI, and should be able to step up now against the best of the best.
Take a stand against last year’s winner A Plus Tard. Though he has run well in this race the last two years, it is a concern that he comes into this race off of his first bad race ever. He is also the top weight in this race, giving anywhere between seven and 19 pounds to his Gold Cup foes. At a short price, there are more appealing runners who are better-weighted.
Ahoy Senor may not be the most consistent horse in training, but he tends to find his best form when he goes to Cheltenham. He won the Cotswold Chase (G2) over the track last out, and also ran a good second in a novice chase there last year. He carries 14 pounds under top weight and can fit if he runs his best, making him interesting for each-way and exotic wagers.
Minella Indo, the “B” stringer from the de Bromhead yard, won two years ago and was second last year. Despite his love of Cheltenham, he carries 12 pounds under top weight and is an appealing price in the antepost markets. He won by a neck over a solid horse in Stattler last out, and though this is a much deeper field than that Grade 3, he finds his form at Festival time.
The aforementioned Stattler could also find a piece of the exotics. He has been second in his last two starts, and won all three last campaign. Though he was no match for Galopin des Champs and will have trouble running to that standard if that one brings his best, he is consistent and classy enough to make sense for exotics, and at 17 pounds below top weight he is one of the lightest-weighted in the field.
You know the field, so it is time to place your bets for the Cheltenham Gold Cup! Here are the best bets in the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival!
About the Author
For a decade, Rowan Ward has been making horse race predictions and wagers in Chicago, and has been writing about horse racing for nearly just as long. Understanding the various factors that influence a race's outcome, they often find that the age-old saying "the pace makes the race" can uncover worthwhile betting opportunities. When it comes to handicapping, their favorite races are those held locally in Chicago, major stake races across the country, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing bloodlines.
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