Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Guide
| Cheltenham Gold Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Click here for all runners and odds |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gold Cup Profile
(Friday 16th March - 3.20pm) - Gold Cup Race Entries
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the jewel in the crown of jump racing. Run over a distance of 3 miles 2½ furlongs, there are 22 fences to be jumped over the new course. First run in 1924, it has been won by many of the game's most famous names including Golden Miller, Arkle, Dawn Run, Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Denman and Kauto Star.
RACE TRENDS:
- 12 of the last 14 winners had been placed at the festival before
- 10 of the last 20 winners were second season chasers
- 11 of the last 12 winners had all won a race that season
- The last 11 winners were in the front three in the betting
- 10 horses priced 33/1 and bigger have been placed since 1997
- 68 of 70 horses beaten in the race before since 1994 have been beaten again. The only exceptions are Kauto Star (once) and a carried-out See More Business
- 16 of the last 18 winners were aged between seven and nine
- No horse older than ten has won since 1969
- Only one horse since 1963 (Dawn Run) has won with less than six runs over fences
Gold Cup Winners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gold Cup Trials | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Connections Comments
Burton Port
"Burton Port has been amazing us all. I thought he was good before he got injured but his work at home has been so much better than it used to be. He will definitely go for the Gold Cup."
Nicky Henderson
17th February 2012
China Rock
"I was disappointed on the day with the way he didn’t get home, but he scoped badly afterwards. He’s getting treated and should be grand so we’re aiming at Cheltenham again. He must have a place chance the way they keep beating each other."
Mouse Morris
21st February 2012
Diamond Harry
"We are having him investigated for a potential breathing problem by the vet on Tuesday. I spoke to (jockey) Noel Fehily on Sunday and he said the horse did remarkably well, but felt that he does have a breathing problem. Hopefully we will know more and then take it from there. The impact on Cheltenham or on anything else we won't know until it's been diagnosed. It looks like he will have to have a breathing operation. Noel thought it was quite marked, so we're having it investigated. If it is an issue then it gives us more hope when we get it sorted that he can do a bit more next time and see his way up the hill at Cheltenham. I think he must have had the same problem at Haydock in the Betfair Chase (when fourth to Kauto Star). We won't know how good he is until we get it sorted."
Paul Duffy (owner)
30th January 2012
Kauto Star
“I knew he’d run well as he’d been so well at home. He was in fantastic form and it was a great ride. I’ll never train another like him and a lot of people wrote him off last year. He wasn’t right at any stage last year and I knew if he ran today like he did at Haydock he’d be there. I’d always wanted him to be ridden like that as all he does is jump and stay. We wouldn’t have kept going last year if we didn’t think he could still do it. The star still burns bright and he should be favourite for the Gold Cup on this year’s form.”
Paul Nicholls
26th December 2011
"There is no easy way to say this, but Kauto Star is only 50-50 to make the Cheltenham Gold Cup after a fall schooling. Kauto took a tumble when Ruby schooled him at the end of last week. I say tumble, but in truth it was a pretty awful fall. Even though he trotted sound, it was plain to see that he was sore afterwards. He has had the best veterinary and physiotherapy care possible but we hoped that he would be showing more improvement by now. I spoke to Clifford (Baker, groom) after returning to the stables after a Cheltenham media day yesterday, and he said Kauto still wasn't fully recovered, remained quite stiff, and in his wise words he felt he was "only 50-50" to make the Festival at this stage."
Paul Nicholls
1st March 2012
Long Run
"The score is two-all (with Kauto Star) and the decider will be played out in the Cotswolds. Hats off to them because you might find Paul (Nicholls) didn't have Kauto Star at his best last year, but on the positive side we've improved seven lengths from Haydock and have another one or two to find in the three months leading up to Cheltenham. Kauto Star really put the pressure on us from a long way out, but Long Run finished his race really well and the final hill is going to help us at the Festival. Our fellow wasn't exactly running away coming down the hill in last season's Gold Cup, but he found more with every stride up the hill."
Nicky Henderson
26th December 2011
"That was just what we wanted. I was really pleased with his jumping. He was a little careless with the water (jump), but apart from that he's jumped really well. You couldn't ask for more from a seasoned chaser. That is exactly the confidence boost you want to go to the Gold Cup with. We took the earplugs out but I'm not sure that made a big difference. In a funny way, he felt like a different horse altogether today. In the paddock he was more alert and looking more up for it and he's just gone out there and done it really well. We went a right good gallop and, if anything, I think we've learnt how to set him up for a fence when you are going that big quicker."
Sam Waley-Cohen
17th February 2012
Midnight Chase
"He's great for the yard and it's great for Lady Clarke (owner). I'm delighted, we've had a bad time so this is great. We just haven't had the horses. We've had success for a couple of years and a lot are badly handicapped. Him and Dougie get on great together. I thought he was in the same form as a year ago but he's got stronger and he's very genuine. He loves racing and he loves Cheltenham so he has to go for the Gold Cup after that."
Neil Mulholland
28th January 2012
Quel Esprit
"Ruby gave him a very brave ride. He got him jumping and galloping and the horse threw in a few fabulous leaps when he needed to. We always thought he was a fantastic jumper at home and we were surprised when he fell a couple of times last year. He had a wind operation, which might have helped, or it could be that he's a stronger, more mature horse this season. The likelihood is that we'll have a crack at the Gold Cup."
Willie Mullins
12th February 2012
Synchronised
"Jonjo's not happy with him and he's not going to send him over for the race (Irish Hennessy). He won't run again before Cheltenham and hopefully Jonjo will get him right for the Gold Cup."
Frank Berry
10th February 2012
Time For Rupert
"He's all right after his run. It's just that he's an eight-year-old and not quite as good as them yet - but he might get a bit better yet. We haven't had chance to sit down and think about what next. The Gold Cup will be tricky now unless a few drop out, so we will have to have a bit of a think. The owners are considering whether to give him an entry in the Grand National. I'm sure he will next year, but not sure they will do this year with him being an eight-year-old. He can still get physically stronger so it might be better to wait a year."
Paul Webber
29th January 2012
Weird Al
"I think he has a very solid each-way chance. His run in the Charlie Hall was eyecatching and he ran a nice race at Haydock without Timmy (Murphy) feeling he was as sharp as he was at Wetherby. He's a young, improving horse who likes Cheltenham. It's all about getting him there fit and well on the day, and we know after Wetherby that we can get him ready for one day, there is no reason he shouldn't run into the money. I knew how much Ian (Williams) thought of him and I wasn't convinced myself until I trained him."
Donald McCain
7th February 2012
