Cheltenham Gold Cup betting preview: Tips and best odds
It’s the one we have all been waiting for, and as ever, the build-up and atmosphere of intrigue in the run-up to the race are in many ways as fun as watching the steeplechase play out.
When the runners come into line on the course and the tapes go up, all the talking stops, and we will see which of the household names can go the distance in the heat of battle set against a backdrop in the Cotswolds that very few other sports can boast.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Prediction
1) Bravemansgame – 13/2 bet with William Hill
2) Galopin Des Champs – 7/4 bet with Spreadex
3) Protektorat – 14/1 bet with bet365
TFrom a Cheltenham betting perspective, the race revolves around GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, as the Willie Mullins-trained juggernaut looks to add the biggest prize of all to his CV. A winner of five of his six starts over fences, his only blip came when 12 lengths clear in last year’s Turners Novice Chase, and then crashed out at the last fence in one of the most dramatic moments in Cheltenham Festival history. Other than that, he has been near enough flawless – in fact nothing has got within 8 lengths of him in completed starts over fences and he has the opportunity to be a real superstar. However, his cramped odds leave no excitement from a wagering perspective, as his case is there for all to see, but it has to be remembered that the horse (like a few of the favourites in the line-up) is heading into unknown territory stamina-wise. He hit the line in a strong enough fashion at the DRF over 3m to give every indication that this trip could easily be within his comfort zone. He oozes class, and is the one to beat – it’s just a question of price. If you haven’t backed him yet, then it may be a case of just leaving him to it, at what could be viewed as prohibitive odds for racing bets in a run of this nature.
What do we make of A PLUS TARD? The defending champion has essentially gone amiss this season, pulling up in the Betfair Chase back in November and hasn’t been since when according to his jockey Rachael Blackmore “He never travelled from the get-go”. It is far from ideal preparation and the logical call looks to be to take him on, for all that last year’s winning performance was one of the best in recent years. Drying ground towards the end of the week would help his cause of making history for the Henry De Bromhead team in what would be an emotional and poignant outcome – and a great one for bet settlement.
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While variety is all well and good, the Cheltenham Gold Cup can often be fought out or won by thorough stayers. Bobs Worth, Denman, and Synchronised would be just a few winners to mention in recent times. The two most noticeable horses in action bringing that cast-iron stamina to the table are NOBLE YEATS and STATTLER and it would do bettors plenty of good to keep an eye on them. The former, as a reigning Grand National winner has stamina in spades, and produced a nice warm-up for this event when a staying-on third in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham back in January. The snag with Noble Yeats is whether he will have enough gears to stay with the field throughout the early exchanges. There is the possibility that he will leave too much to do and his staying efforts may all be in vain unless the leaders hit the buffers up the hill. Rain would be of benefit to the Emmet Mullins-trained 8-year-old. The aforementioned Stattler was last seen chasing home Galopin Des Champs at the DRF, and hopes of a reversal will very much be pinned on this more stamina-posing task swinging it in favour of last season’s National Hunt Chase winner. He has possibly a bit more tactical speed than Noble Yeats and importantly has that winning Cheltenham Festival form in the book. He is a major player here and a strong each-way case (especially if you have some promotions lined up) can be made for any selections including the Closutton representative.
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Who are those flying a little bit under the radar in this world? Well, a cogent case can be made for CONFLATED each way, as he has untapped potential at this trip and was fairly bolted up in the Savills Chase when last seen. He comes into this race fresh and if he can get his jumps in a good rhythm, he cannot be left out of the equation on any Cheltenham offers. He is versatile in regards to underfoot conditions, and on a strict line through the collateral form of Fury Road, he doesn’t have as much to find with Galopin Des Champs as his price suggests. It could possibly be Davy Russell’s last ever ride at the Cheltenham Festival – what a way it would be to bow out.
Maybe enough credit isn’t being given to AHOY SENOR and the way in which he produced a really gritty performance to see off SOUNDS RUSSIAN, Noble Yeats and PROTEKTORAT. Ahoy Senor appears to be a spring horse and could just be peaking for this at the right time. Sounds Russian is likely to give a good account of himself, but the horse that finished fourth in the Cotswold Chase, Protektorat, is the one I think the most improvement could be from as we head into the Gold Cup. He was ‘undercooked’ according to his trainer Dan Skelton and should be cherry ripe for this. He ran a cracker to finish third in this race 12 months ago, and that was on the ground that was much quicker than ideal. If the rains continue throughout the week, that only enhances his claims of him getting back to the same sort of form we saw him in when pulverising the field at Haydock earlier in the season and he is a major player here.
Previous champion MINELLA INDO can’t be discounted from an each-way point of view given his Cheltenham record, but father time may just get the better of him. HEWICK would be the most bonkers result of the lot, for a horse that cost connections just 800 euros. He is a totally unknown quantity at this level – something to keep in mind if you were planning to use your bet stakes for him, either in a winning or a placement bet.
That leaves us with a horse who I think is a solid each-way pick, and that is this season’s King George winner BRAVEMANSGAME. Providing the ground has dried up to some extent, this strong traveller can come right into this, as in my view he is the best example of a fence jumper in the line-up. He showed improved stamina when winning at Kempton and I don’t have as many stamina concerns as many people do. He has been labelled ‘not a Cheltenham horse’ which I think is unfair given that he has only had one start at Cheltenham which was in the Ballymore two years ago when third. That in itself wasn’t a bad run and on the basis that we don’t have bottomless ground on Gold Cup day he has the chance to give even more Gold Cup glory to the Paul Nicholls team – and might just be the one you use a Gold Cup customer offer on.
Sportsbook offers for the Gold Cup
The UK’s crowd of punters has had their hands full all week with customer offers on every site, and no wonder. Every bookmaker’s customers have been looking to make the most of each racing bet stake and promotion, and many have had even small deposits turn into booming returns on singles and placepot bets alike.
Today, all the players’ efforts come to a head – the biggest race of the festival is upon us, and every punter with a favourite selection on a given horse racing market will be hoping to give a cash boost to their winnings – and what better way to do that than by snagging a free bet or the bonus amount from one of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting offers?
Most of the bookie sites we recommend here have some bonuses in store for Cheltenham racing pools to raise interest among , but it’s up to you to discern which of the bonus types (sign-up, acca and non-runner insurance, promo code, Cheltenham free bets) will bring you the most value. As usual, be on the lookout for information on any payment method exclusions (debit card payments are usually best, as opposed to methods such as Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, etc.), bet expiry time limits, minimum deposit amount and eligibility restrictions, refund conditions, max rewards on a bet offer etc. for all specials that come your way.
If this is your first time completing the registration for one of these sportsbooks, the process is quick and easy – once you’re on the landing page from one of the links here, just provide your email address, phone number, and proof of I.D. Then, select one of the available payment methods and the right currency, fulfil the min deposit requirement, add a bonus code (if you have one), and claim one of the bet offers. After than, all that’s left is to choose one of the bet types (e.g., a single, acca, multiple) and make a qualifying money bet on your Gold Cup selection.
Who knows, you might just get a gold bet token for the Gold Cup!
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