Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Tips, Winners & History

Next Race: Friday, 19th March 2021

The next race is scheduled to run on 19th March 2021. The race info, trends and tips shown below will be updated for the next renewal once the final declarations have been made.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Tips

Note: The following tips are from 2020. Tips for the next renewal will be added once the final declarations have been made.

The Festival always flies by and so here we find ourselves at the biggest contest of the four days, if not the entire National Hunt calendar. The Gold Cup is one of the biggest sporting events of the entire year for many racing fans and as ever, we look to have a cracker in store with any number of potential winners.

Paul Nicholls is the most successful of the trainers on show this year, with the likes of Kauto Star and Denman helping the multiple champion to four previous successes in the race. Nicholls now lies just one behind Tom Dreaper – trainer of the mighty Arkle – in the all-time list, and would look to have live claims of drawing level this year, with King George winner Clan Des Obeaux flying the flag for team Ditcheat.

When looking at the age of the recent winners, it would seem that it may be wise to discount both the youngest and oldest runners in the line-up, with six of the past seven editions having fallen to a chaser between seven and eight years of age. That makes perfect sense because you need a fully developed and experienced horse but equally you need one with bags of stamina who hasn’t been overworked in the past.

One of the biggest betting heats of the year, this has been a profitable hunting ground for backers of the market leader over the past 10 years, with the wins of favourites Long Run (2011), Bobs Worth (2013) and Don Cossack (2016) being enough to return a level stakes profit of 1.5 units. Not a big profit, but a profit nonetheless, helped by the fact that even the favourite in this competitive contest tends to start at a very rewarding price.

AL BOUM PHOTO (7/2)

We have a number of newcomers to the top-level staying chase scene in this year’s renewal, but the one horse who has been there and got the t-shirt when it comes to this event is of course the defending champion. Al Boum Photo was the horse to finally hand Willie Mullins a win in the Festival’s showpiece event 12 months ago, and he looks all set to be well backed this year and put up a bold defence of his crown.

2½l too good for the field last year, the now eight year old arrives at the race having had an identical preparation to 12 months ago, as Mullins appear to be going for the “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” method of racehorse training.

Al Boum Photo will be having just his second start of the season in the big one, having landed the Savills Chase at Tramore by six lengths on New Year’s Day. His sole prep in 2019 also came when coming out on top in that Tramore contest – with the winning margin being exactly six lengths on that occasion too. The son of Bucks Boum is hard to knock and we certainly feel he will prove very hard to beat.

SANTINI (7/2)

Nicky Henderson is now the most successful trainer in the entire history of the Cheltenham Festival, and has previously had his hands on the biggest prize of them all on two occasions thanks to the victories of Long Run and Bobs Worth. There are plenty who believe Henderson may register a third success in 2020, with his impressive eight year old Santini featuring prominently in the betting market.

Long held in high regard by his handler, this strapping son of Milan will be making his third Festival start here having finished third in the 2018 Albert Bartlett, and second in the RSA here 12 months ago. The RSA is regularly a key pointer towards future Gold Cup success, and this one has certainly continued his progression this term. Arriving on the back of a verdict over Bristol De Mai in the Cotswold Chase at this track last time out, he looks a chaser firmly on the up and a must for the shortlist.

DELTA WORK (9/2)

Leading the charge for Ireland is another horse to have taken part in the RSA Chase here last season – Gordon Elliott’s Delta Work. This Gigginstown House Stud runner was just one place, and 1¾l adrift of Santini that day, in a race where he wasn’t helped by being starved for room at a crucial stage.

Moving on to the current season and Delta Work has now forged ahead of Santini when it comes to achievements at the track. Badly in need of the run on his comeback at Down Royal, he has since gone on to land the big Grade 1 double of the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown to propel himself towards the head of the market for this. The type to come with a relentless sustained run, the stiff finish up the hill may well suit and he seems sure to run well.

LOSTINTRANSLATION (6/1)

Another trainer with a bit of previous when it comes to Gold Cup success is Dorset’s very own Colin Tizzard. Tizzard’s 2018 winner Native River may have been ruled out through injury this time around, but Lostintranslation still goes to post and he may well be up to the task.

A solid second to an on-song Defi Du Seuil in the JLT Novices’ Chase at the meeting 12 months ago, he rounded off last season with a hugely impressive six length thrashing of RSA winner Topofthegame at Aintree.

A winner of a listed contest at Carlisle on his return this season, the son of Flemensfirth then achieved the considerable feat of mastering Bristol De Mai at his beloved Haydock. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though as he bombed out badly in the King George last time out, and now heads into this having his first start since a wind operation.

That said, he wouldn’t be the first horse to bounce back from a flop at Kempton, and on those earlier efforts he looks the best of the Gold Cup newcomers. At the current prices, he gets our vote, just offering a little more value than those above him in the betting.

CLAN DES OBEAUX (8/1)

Another not to be ruled out is the dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux. In truth this Paul Nicholls star didn’t just win the latest renewal of the Kempton showpiece, he absolutely obliterated the opposition to the tune of 21 lengths. From a visual perspective at least, that was just about the most impressive performance in a staying chase by any horse this season. If he is able to repeat that level of form then he must go close here but there are certainly reasons to doubt he will be able to do that.

The key question is whether he can replicate that effort here at Cheltenham. Two previous Festival starts have yielded a sixth in the Triumph Hurdle and an eleven length fifth in this race 12 months ago. He did travel ominously well in that 2019 edition though, and may well see it out better this season having had another year to develop. 8/1 will tempt some but for us, Lostintranslation is the better option.