The Cheltenham Gold Cup is now fewer than four weeks ago and GG are enjoying every moment in the build up to the Cheltenham Festival. With the entries whittling down and the majority of contenders having had their final prep run, we analyse the latest action and impact on the Gold Cup betting for 2025 and preview the big names expected to line up.
Saturday, 15th February – Ascot Chase
Saturday’s Grade 1 Ascot Chase winner Pic D’orhy will be going nowhere near the Cheltenham Festival. Despite his supreme talent, it is usually saved for flatter, right-handed tracks, so despite beating two genuine Cheltenham hopefuls, there will be no spot at Prestbury Park for him. Aintree awaits.
In second, Corbetts Cross did little damage to his reputation over a trip too short for him. The fact that he was supported into favourite for the race speaks volumes to the regard he is held in, and this will have served as a lively, but not overly taxing prep run for Cheltenham. He drifted to a best price of 16/1 from 14s for the Gold Cup but certainly retains each-way potential.
Things went significantly worse for the 2024 Ascot Chase runner-up L’Homme Presse. Venetia Williams’ charge has always been vulnerable to jumping out to his left, but after trying to match Pic D’orhy at a brisk pace over the first three fences, he made a shuddering early error, after which he lost his confidence. His pulling up would be far from the ideal preparation, although how much this translates to what he could achieve at Cheltenham is up for debate. Nevertheless, 33/1 is now available where 20/1 was before.
Elsewhere
Another Gold Cup entry ran at Haydock on Saturday, although the romance with that venue has firmly ended for Royale Pagaille of late. Now aged 11, his best days are surely behind him, as he finished only sixth in the Grand National Trial. He remains a general 66/1 chance.
Leading Contenders
Galopin Des Champs
Using the same preparation as in the past two seasons, Galopin Des Champs is already ready to roll at Cheltenham. He won his third straight edition of the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out and is going for the same achievement at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. With some of his rivals likely to have been scared off, he has a chance to join the history makers with his hat trick. Betfair are among the best prices at 8/15 for him to emulate Best Mate.
Fact To File
The young pretender has found out that dethroning champions is a tall task. Fact To File may have beaten Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown, but that represents a test far from the dual Gold Cup hero’s ideal conditions. Since taking him on at Leopardstown over 3m, Fact To File has been swiped aside and a date with the Ryanair Chase may now await instead over 2m5f. JP McManus has not traditionally been a fan of that contest, but the betting with traditional ante-post terms suggests that will be his destination: he is now 8/1 for the Gold Cup with Betfair.
Banbridge
The King George VI Chase winner should always be considered in a Gold Cup and Banbridge is likely to step up in trip even further at Cheltenham. The nine-year-old did brilliantly to collar runaway leader Il Est Francais that day and shaped like a further two furlongs could easily suit. Ground better than soft would be essential or else he is likely to skip the meeting, but given he is yet to experience a bruising from Galopin Des Champs, he could be the one most likely to cause an upset, as is mirrored by the market – he is a best 7/1 with SkyBet.
Monty’s Star
An old fashioned type of staying chaser, Monty’s Star was second to Fact To File in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase last season and looks full of stamina. It was possibly a career best that saw him finish a close fifth in the Irish Gold Cup and an extra 2½ furlongs will be right up his street, where others have more to prove. Whether he can live with Galopin Des Champs is another matter, but he is a general 12/1 to reward those thinking he can finish in the top three.
Corbetts Cross
As mentioned above, Corbetts Cross has finished his preparation later than the majority, taking in the Ascot Chase on Saturday. However, 3m2½f at Cheltenham will suit him down to the ground as he stays plenty further too. 16/1 could look big given he won the National Hunt Chase at the 2024 Festival and that this race will be much more suitable than any he has faced so far this term.
Gold Cup Ante-Post Movers
Royale Pagaille → 66/1
Corbetts Cross ↓ 16/1 from 14/1
L’Homme Presse ↓ 33/1 from 20/1