A look at “Cheltenham Gold Cup Contenders” The Cheltenham Festival is now fast approaching, and as trainers put the final touches to their equine superstars’ preparations, attention turns to the chances of those involved, particularly for the highlight of the meeting – the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The pinnacle of jumps racing, the Gold Cup has been won by some of the greatest racehorses in history, and another stellar line-up is set to go to post for the 2023 edition in March. So, who is going to add their name to the prestigious roll of honor this year?
Gold Cup Contenders
Galopin Des Champs
Galopin Des Champs is the name on most people’s lips when it comes to the 2023 Gold Cup. Some pundits and fans are of the opinion that the Willie Mullins-trained chaser is unbeatable in this year’s Cheltenham showpiece, and that is reflected by being the 13/8 favourite in racing betting.
The seven-year-olds only defeat over fences came dramatically at last year’s festival, where, having been 12 lengths ahead at the final fence, he came crashing down with the race at his mercy. If he can avoid any mishaps in March, he is going to prove very hard to beat.
Willie Mullins confident trip not a problem for Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs https://t.co/GkqMDWKshR pic.twitter.com/TqREXF1xcg
— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) January 30, 2023
Noble Yeats
Noble Yeats burst onto the scene last season when winning the Aintree Grand National, and he now finds himself in contention to join a small list of horses able to win a Gold Cup. Grand National winners are better known for their stamina and toughness than their class, but Noble Yeats is proving himself to be an exception to the rule.
Trained by the up-and-coming, Emmet Mullins, Noble Yeats showed his top-level ability when landing the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree over Christmas, and a similar effort would put him right in the mix for Gold Cup glory.
A Plus Tard
It is unusual to see a defending champion so far down the pecking order as the Gold Cup approaches, but there are reasons behind A Plus Tard’s slight fall from grace. Henry de Bromhead’s stable star was breathtaking in his 15-length win in last year’s race, but he has had problems ever since.
A Plus Tard has made the racecourse just once this season, looking like a shadow of himself when being pulled up in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. De Bromhead will have turned every stone in an attempt to find out what problems exist with his star chaser, and he could be a different animal in March.
Other Runners
Other Gold Cup hopefuls for 2023 include Stattler, Bravemansgame, Ahoy Senior, and 2021 winner Minella Indo. Stattler and Bravemansgame join Galopin Des Champs as up-and-coming stars this year.
Stattler was hugely impressive in winning the National Hunt Chase at last year’s festival, whilst Bravemansgame showed his class when running away with the prestigious King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas.
Ahoy Senior was well behind him in that race but bounced back to win the Cotswold Chase last time, whilst Minella Indo has been there and done it and knows what it takes to win a Gold Cup.
Galopin Des Champs will prove very hard to beat if in top form, but several classy rivals are waiting in the wings if the favorite fails to fire.
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