Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips 2023 (Cheltenham Festival Day 4 3.30pm): Win and Each-way Tip for Cheltenham Festival’s Feature Race

Cheltenham Gold Cup tips

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is not only the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival but, for many people, the highlight of the entire National Hunt season.

The Roll of Honour reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of staying steeplechasers down the years and includes such luminaries of the sport as Golden Miller,  Cottage Rake, Arkle, Best Mate and Kauto Star, to name but a handful.

As the 2023 Festival gets ever closer we will have day by day Cheltenham tips and the big event of the week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, takes place at 3.30pm on day 4, which is Friday 17th March this year. See our latest Gold Cup tips below with two fancies from our ante-post tipsters.

 

Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner Tip

  • Galopin Des Champs (Cheltenham Gold Cup)
  • Current Odds: 6/4 with William Hill

If Allaho was the horse of last year, Galopin Des Champs could be this year’s superstar. The Martin Pipe tends to favour Stayers (Don Poli, Champagne Classic, Sir Des Champs) so, unlike some, I don’t believe Stamina will be an issue. His jumping in his Beginners Chase was breathtaking, earning him the highest-ever RPR for a beginner chase. After Cheltenham, Timeform gave him the second highest ever+ rating for a Novice Chaser, only behind Douvan and level with Altior and Sprinter Sacre. And being mentioned in this company doesn’t flatter him in my opinion. I think that while A Plus Tard is a good horse, last year’s race wasn’t a vintage renewal and this will be his third go at a gruelling race which has begun to favour younger horses.

Take a punt on favourite Galopin Des Champs at 6/4 with William Hill!

 

Cheltenham Gold Cup Each-way Tip

  • Bravemansgame (Gold Cup)
  • Current Odds – 8/1 with bet365

Week 17 sees me go back to a British selection once more and pick a horse who is aiming to give his trainer his 5th Gold Cup.

I had to think long and hard for my selection this week and it was extremely difficult holding back from a handicap selection knowing that is probably best to wait a week now until we have the entries.

This has led me to backing Bravemansgame (8/1) for the blue ribbon race that is the Gold Cup using a Cheltenham NRNB bookies. Now, I’m fully aware that he has a huge task in front of him and lowering the colours of favourite Galopin Des Champ will take some doing but I’m willing to take a risk. My selection is joint 5th in the betting and I just don’t think that’s right or gives the horse enough credit. I believe it should be 2nd fav and be a 4-5/1 shot (and I think he will go off shorter than he is now).

I think my selection has a huge chance and I’m of the opinion that his form is a lot better than many rivals ahead of him in the betting. There are question marks over At Plus Tard who we’ve only seen once this season (pulled up in the Betfair Chase), Noble Yeats is a terrible price on the basis of his 2 chase starts this season and although I am a fan of Stattler, I still need to be convinced he has the class to win a Gold Cup.

Bravemansgame King George winning form is good and he had L’homme Presse at it and beat when he UR at the last. BMG will no doubt have critics crab his form and question whether he will stay the 3m2f trip, but we can have a similar argument with the 13/8 fav. BMG impressed me in the King George and I believe he has improved again this season.

His only run at Cheltenham was when 3rd behind Bob Olinger (when he was at his best) so there’s no worry on course form for me (like there are with others). My selections form in the spring is questionable and he has that to prove. He is unbeaten in his last 9 starts in the autumn/winter but has yet to taste success in the spring.

The plan has always been to go straight to the Gold Cup after his King George success and if there’s a trainer you want to freshen up a horse and get him 100% spot on for a Gold Cup then it’s the 4 time winner of the race and champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Stake – 1pt win only Bravemansgame (Boodles Gold Cup) 8/1 365 NRNB

 

Cheltenham Gold Cup Trends

  • Age – 11 of last 12 winners were aged between 7-9
  • Price – 5 of last 12 winners were favourites/joint favourites, 7/12 winners were top 3 in the betting
  • Last Run – 9 of last 12 winners won on their previous run before the Cheltenham Gold Cup, 11/12 winners had their last run within the last 80 days, 12/12 winners had their last run 33 days or longer ago
  • 3/12 winners ran in the Irish Gold Cup (Leopardstown) on their last run, 1 of the 3 won, 0 placed
  • 2/12 winners ran in the Denman Chase (Newbury) on their last run, 2 of the 2 won
  • 2/12 winners ran in the Savills Chase (Leopardstown) on their last run, 1 of the 2 won, 1 placed
  • Previous Course Form – 12/12 winners had at least 1 previous Cheltenham run, 6/12 had at least 1 previous win at Cheltenham
  • Previous Distance Form – 11/12 winners had at least 2 runs over 24 furlongs or further, 11/12 winners had at least 1 previous win over 24 furlongs or further, 8/12 winners had at least 2 wins over 24 furlongs or further
  • Previous Hurdle Form – 12/12 winners had at least 4 runs over hurdles, 10/12 had at least 2 wins over hurdles
  • Previous Chase Form – 10/12 winners had at least 7 previous chase runs, 12/12 had at least 2 previous chase wins, 11/12 had at least 3 previous chase wins
  • Rating – 11/12 winners were rated 164 or higher, 5/12 were rated 170 or higher
  • Grade 1 Wins – 12/12 winners had won at least 1 Grade 1 race, 7/12 had won at least 2
  • Grade 2 Wins – 9/12 winners had won at least 1 Grade 2 race, 5/12 had won at least 2
  • Grade 3 Wins – 8/12 winners had won at least 1 Grade 3 race
  • Season Form – 9/12 winners had at least 2 runs that season, 11/12 had at least 1 win that season

 

Cheltenham Gold Cup Previous Winners

Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2009 Kauto Star Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2010 Imperial Commander Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies
2011 Long Run S Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson
2012 Synchronised A P McCoy Jonjo O’Neill
2013 Bobs Worth Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2014 Lord Windermere Davy Russell Jim Culoty
2015 Coneygree Nico de Boinville Mark Bradstock
2016 Don Cossack Bryan Cooper Gordan Elliott
2017 Sizing John Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington
2018 Native River Richard Johnson Colin Tizzard
2019 Al Boum Photo Paul Townend Willie Mullins
2020 Al Boum Photo Paul Townend Willie Mullins