About the Cheltenham Gold Cup
It is one of the most famous races in the entire world. It is the big one, the one race that all punters, jockeys, trainers and owners want to land. This is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Grade 1 feature race is over a big distance of 3 miles and 2½ furlongs and around the challenge, there are 22 fences to get over. This is the top feature race of all National Hunt events, the Blue Riband event if you like, of jump racing. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is open to any five year old or older horse and there is over a half million pound prize purse on it. Down the years it has created some epic memories and famous winners such as Kauto Star, Arkle and Best Mate.
2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup Review
Sizing John delivered the goods last year. He beat out Minella Rocco by two-and-three-quarter lengths to give the Irish their biggest win of the festival. It was a big turnaround at that point for Sizing John who had previously lost seven duels with Douvan in different two-mile trips, but the step up in distance suited him well with Robbie Power in the saddle. He travelled well throughout and slowly reeled in Native River and Djakadam who were having their own private battle at the front. The challenge of Cue Card crashed at the third from home and come to the penultimate jump, Sizing John, Djakadam and Native River were in a line. It was Sizing John who just got in front on the landing and quickly opened up a lead and took the final jump easily and stretched away. Minella Rocco came from nowhere to edge out the tiring Djakadam and Native River.
2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup Preview
The big shock of the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup is that Sizing John won’t be back. He picked up a pelvis fracture and has been a dramatic withdrawal from the blue riband race. That’s a blow for the race and a blow for the Festival as a spectacle but now it will make Cheltenham Gold Cup 2018 betting pretty interesting. Sizing John was 6-1 second favourite before his withdrawal, behind Might Bite. Might Bite is holding 11/4 favouritism with bet365* (betting odds taken a 10:57 p.m. on 9th March 2018) in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting market.
Might Bite has been up as the ante-post leader for a while now for the latest renewal of the Gold Cup and is holding firm. Since his tumble in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase last season while out clear, he has gone unbeaten since. He does appear to have settled down and with last year’s RSA Chase, further Grade 1 wins at Aintree and then in the King George VI Chase, he looks pretty well primed to go hard at this. Plus being a former RSA Chase winner always puts a runner in good stead for the step up to the Gold Cup. This will be his first attempt at this distance.
Native River has everything needed to push the favourite close in this one. Last year he came home third after his epic duel with Dajakadam. He went to Cheltenham last year on the back of a busy season and the ground was quicker for the race than what he would have liked. But he is nice a fresh for this year’s renewal and the thing about him is that he has the proven stamina over the extra distance, something that Might Bite doesn’t and Native River has never shown a sign of quitting or of having any quirks like Might Bite has done in his career.
Punters should rightly be a little wary over the mistakes that Our Duke has tossed out there, one at Gowran Park recently and one in the Irish Gold Cup when he was going pretty well. Road To Respect got his first Grade One victory at Fairyhouse over Yorkhill last season and has been moving along in nice form with two wins from there so far this season, but did take a loss to Outlander at the JNWine.com Champion Chase. Outlander is a big 33/1 odds for this one* (betting odds taken a 10:57 p.m. on 9th March 2018) at bookmaker bet365 and isn’t without appeal.
Outlander actually makes for one of the best each way big-priced horses in this event. He had a good outing behind Edwulf in the Irish Gold Cup and in the Christmas Chase was third to Road To Respect. Like Our Duke, he can throw out a mistake here and there but he is very talented and he was in the 2017 Gold Cup renewal when an injury hampered his potential. Killultagh Vic was really in the frame for a win back in February at the Irish Gold Cup until he fell at the last. That aside he has been running really well and is quietly looking like a pretty handy prospect.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Last 5 Winners
2013 Bobs Worth
2014 Lord Windermere
2015 Coneygree
2016 Don Cossack
2017 Sizing John
Cheltenham Gold Cup Trends
- The first ever novice to win the Gold Cup was Coneygree in 2015
- Including 2018 the last renewals have been without the reigning champion
- The last horse to win back to back Gold Cups was Best Mate in 2003 and 2004
- Five of the last six winners have been eight or nine year olds
- 11 of the last fifteen Gold Winners had a top-two finish previously at the Festival
- Each of the last sixteen Gold Cup winners had previously won a Grade 1 race
- All but one of the last fifteen winners have been in the top three of betting
- 15 of the last seventeen winners had won a race earlier in the season
- Half of the last twenty-four winners have been second season chasers
Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds*
Might Bite 11/4, Native River 9/2, Our Duke 13/2, Road To Respect 8.1, Killultagh Vic 9/1, Definitely Red 14/1, Total Recall 16/1, Edwulf 16/1, Minella Rocco 20/1, Djkadaam 20/1, bar 25/1* (betting odds taken a 10:57 p.m. on 9th March 2018).
Cheltenham Gold Cup Predictions
Native River at 9/2 with bet365* (betting odds taken a 10:57 p.m. on 9th March 2018) looks to be primed to have a strong challenge in this one and has the proven distance whereas favourite Might Bite doesn’t and that could just tip things in the former’s favour. Native River looks to be in good form and can travel well and it is, therefore, worth taking on Might Bite with him. Killultagh Vic appeals as a longer priced option to get the win. As for a big outsider chance as an each way option consider Outlander who could easily outrun his odds.
