Cheltenham Gold Cup 2023: runners and riders, a horse-by-horse guide
The Gold Cup is a horse race second only to the Grand National in the nation's affections. Run on the Friday of the four-day Cheltenham Festival, the race has the ability to change the lives of horses, jockeys, owners and trainers – in no small part owing to the £625,000 prize fund.
Last year's edition was won by A Plus Tard, ridden by Rachael Blackmore, who became the first female jockey to win the event. A Plus Tard had jumped the final fence alongside Minella Indo, a stablemate and defending champion, but pulled away in front of the grandstand.
A Plus Tard will be back in the running this year and is among the favourites in the ante-post market. Galopin Des Champs leads the betting, with Noble Yeats, the winner of the 2022 Grand National, also well backed.
The following 23 horses have been announced on the long-list for entry into this year's Gold Cup. The final selection will be approximately half this number. Last year there were 11 horses on the start line.
The race itself is at 3.30pm on Friday, March 17.
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Name (nationality) age, owner, trainer – odds
- Ahoy Senor (IRE) 8, Mrs C Wymer & Mr PJS Russell, Lucinda Russell – 10/1
- Angels Breath (IRE) 9, Walters Plant Hire & Ronnie Bartlett, Sam Thomas – 50/1
- A Plus Tard (FR) 9, Cheveley Park Stud, Henry de Bromhead – 6/1
- Bravemansgame (FR) 8, John Dance and Bryan Drew, Paul Nicholls – 8/1
- Capodanno (FR) 7, Mr John P. McManus, W. P. Mullins – 33/1
- Conflated (IRE) 9, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott – 8/1
- Coole Cody (IRE) 12, Mr W. Clifford, Evan Williams – 100/1
- Eldorado Allen (FR) 9, J P Romans & Terry Warner, Joe Tizzard – 100/1
- Envoi Allen (FR) 9, Cheveley Park Stud, Henry de Bromhead – 50/1
- Franco de Port (FR) 8, Bruton Street V W, P. Mullins – 100/1
- Fury Road (IRE) 9, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott – 25/1
- Ga Law (FR) 7, The Footie Partnership, Jamie Snowden – 100/1
- Galopin des Champs (FR) 7, Mrs Audrey Turley, W. P. Mullins – 5/4
- Galvin (IRE) 9, Mr R. A. Bartlett, Gordon Elliott – 50/1
- Hewick (IRE) 8, Mr T. J. Mcdonald, John Joseph Hanlon – 20/1
- Minella Indo (IRE) 10, Mr Barry Maloney, Henry de Bromhead – 20/1
- Noble Yeats (IRE) 8, Mr Robert Waley-Cohen, Emmet Mullins – 7/1
- Protektorat (FR) 8, Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales, Dan Skelton – 12/1
- Royale Pagaille (FR) 9, Mrs S. Ricci, Venetia Williams – 50/1
- Shishkin (IRE) 9, Mrs J Donnelly, Nicky Henderson – 10/1
- Sounds Russian (IRE) 8, Claxby & Co, Ruth Jefferson – 16/1
- Stattler (IRE) 8, Mr R. A. Bartlett, W. P. Mullins – 13/2
- The Real Whacker (IRE) 7, Neville, Mann, Duffus and Dennis, Patrick Neville – 50/1
Odds correct as of February 19
Shishkin, already a Supreme Hurdle and Arkle Chase winner, returned to his imperious best on Saturday 18 winning the Betfair Ascot Chase, his first attempt over two miles five furlongs over fences.
Since he won an epic dual with Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot 13 months ago he has bombed out after a mile when favourite in the Champion Chase, been diagnosed with a rare bone condition, came back in the Tingle Creek, and struggled with pace and breathing which required a wind operation.
Now that he has the horse back and has solved one dilemma, that Shishkin needs further than two miles, Nicky Henderson has another; does he take what he calls the "sensible" option and run in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham or does he step him up in distance again and go for Gold over three miles, two furlongs?
The Telegraph’s racing experts, Marcus Armytage and Charlie Brooks, make the case for each.
There are few more popular sights in racing than a good horse returned to the top table so why, now, go and spoil that by risking everything in the Gold Cup? That is for another day.
On Saturday Shishkin proved he gets two miles five furlongs absolutely fine and though he galloped through the line, you’d have to wonder if he has so much speed that he would get the trip in the Gold Cup.
The Ryanair is not, granted, as prestigious or valuable as the Gold Cup but Imperial Commander won a year before going on to win the Gold Cup so it is a proven stepping stone and I can’t remember many Gold Cup winners who had never run three miles before. What is more, owners Joe and Marie Donnelly have already won a couple of Gold Cups with Al Boum Photo so it’s not as if their cupboard is bare in that department.
And with Allaho, the winner for the last two years, out of the Ryanair it looks Shishkin's race to lose. The second favourite, Blue Lord, ran very flat last time at Leopardstown and will have to up his game again to beat Shishkin. The Gold Cup looks a much better race this year. The time to take the next step up in trip is at Aintree in the Bowl, then if he stays it have fun in King Georges and Gold Cups next season.
It would be a tragedy if Shishkin doesn’t run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Having won the Arkle at the 2021 Festival, he deserves to have the chance to prove that he is a champion.
Nico De Boinville clearly feels that he now needs to race at a slower tempo to keep him happy, and given that he also settles very well in his races, the extra seven furlongs of the Gold Cup over the trip at Ascot on Saturday should hold no fear for trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Mr. Donnelly. Indeed, it could be said that Shishkin is now crying out to race over further.
Henderson’s team have done an incredible job to get the nine-year-old back into such sparkling form, but it would be a backward step to now lower their sights towards the Ryanair Chase now that he is in his prime.
The Ryanair Chase, formerly known as the Cathcart, is not a championship race. It’s a consolation heat for horses that have neither the speed for the Champion Chase nor the stamina for the Gold Cup. So it would be a grave insult to Shishkin to ask him to take that option.
It would be senseless to wait a year for the Gold Cup. His sire Sholokhov has already sired a Gold Cup winner in Don Cossack. Nothing is certain with horses. By next year he could be retired in a field or giving kids rides on Margate beach. So Messrs Henderson and Donnelly should throw caution to the wind and go for it.
