Cheltenham Festival: Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips

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In my opinion, which might not be the same as many, is that the winner of the Gold Cup isn’t normally the classiest horse in the race but is the horse who stays the best and jumps the best. We’ve seen on many occasions where the ‘Class’ horse in the race travels well but doesn’t quite see the trip out. A few that spring to mind is Might Bite (Who I backed), Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti. My mind has been made up about this race for quite a long time, and it won’t be changing.

I’m gutted that MINELLA INDO ran a good race at Leopardstown last time out as I would’ve been backing him for the Gold Cup no matter what happened in that race, so the fact he looked like he was returning to form has made his odds shorten, and probably by quite a bit.

This horse is a Spring horse and is a horse that relishes Cheltenham. He won the Ablert Bartlett a couple of years ago at odds of 50/1, then ran a belter in the RSA, finishing 2^nd to Champ, and then won the Gold Cup at odds of 9/1. This horse is a thorough stayer, and though he might lack the quality of some of these, he will stay the trip all day long and if his jumping stays solid, he will be fighting out the finish. His odds aren’t particularly great, but with enhanced places on offer I still think he can be played EW.

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Since winning at Cheltenham last year, GALVIN has been on plenty of people’s minds for the Gold Cup, and I imagine there will be some tasty ante-post slips for him for the Gold Cup. Does he deserve to be a favourite? Arguably he does base on his most recent run, as he beat A Plus Tard who is a top-level performer, and it looked like he outstayed him that day. He will get this trip, as he won the NH Chase at the Festival last year which is run over 3m 6f. He probably is the one they have to beat, but his odds are plenty short enough now, and I’ll happily avoid him, and I do think he’ll shorten up on the day.

It would be pretty harsh to say A PLUS TARD doesn’t stay this trip, as he probably does, but he probably doesn’t stay it as well some of the others. I think he is better on a flatter track, and is a little too short for my liking, considering he was runner-up to Minella Indo last year. He was impressive at Haydock this year but didn’t exactly beat much.

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PROTEKTORAT is the real fly in the ointment. This horse could be anything, and he was impressive last time out at Aintree. But like A Plus Tard’s win at Haydock, he didn’t exactly beat much. He battered Native River into second place by 25L, but that was an 11yo Native River who has had so many hard races in his career and had very little left in the tank. This 7yo needs to be taken seriously and will be a lot of people's EW bet in the race, but there’s a doubt in my mind that he is flattered and will be found out in this company.

The nutter ASTERION FORLONGE could run a big race, and I know Patrick Mullins thinks he could run a nice race, but your heart with be in your mouth for the full race watching him, as he is always prone to a mistake.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips

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No

Silks

Runner

Jockey/Trainer

Odds

4

Aye Right
230-513

J: Callum Bewley
T: H Graham & G Rutherford

2/1

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8

Protektorat
1221-21

J: Harry Skelton
T: D Skelton

5/2

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2

A Plus Tard
3/212-12

J: Rachael Blackmore
T: H De Bromhead

10/3

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6

Galvin
111-121

J: D N Russell
T: G Elliott

4/1

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5

Chantry House
111-1P1

J: Nico de Boinville
T: N J Henderson

5/1

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9

Royale Pagaille
116-212

J: Charlie Deutsch
T: Miss V Williams

5/1

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11

Tornado Flyer
2543-51

J: D E Mullins
T: W P Mullins

5/1

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7

Minella Indo
F41-3P2

J: R M Power
T: H De Bromhead

6/1

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3

Asterion Forlonge
331-UF4

J: B J Cooper
T: W P Mullins

16/1

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1

Al Boum Photo
11/132-1

J: P Townend
T: W P Mullins

20/1

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10

Santini
253P-42

J: Nick Scholfield
T: P Gundry

33/1

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